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Balwinder Sandhu Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth3 August 1956

Age68 Years

BirthplaceBombay (now Mumbai), Bombay State (now Maharashtra)

ProfessionCricketer (Fast Bowler)

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseRavinder Kaur

FamilyTwo daughters: Timrar Kaur and Jankeesh Kaur

Balwinder Sandhu Biography

Balwinder Singh Sandhu is a former Indian medium-fast bowler who played a key role in India's 1983 World Cup triumph. A late starter in top-level cricket,

Early life and background

Balwinder Singh Sandhu was born on 3 August 1956 in Bombay (now Mumbai), in what was then Bombay State. He grew up in Mumbai and attended Guru Nanak Technical High School before studying at several local colleges including Guru Nanak Khalsa College and RN Jhunjhunwala College. He completed a Master of Arts in Economics.

Sandhu came to the game in a street-cricket environment, playing with a tennis ball from an early age. As a teenager he joined a summer camp run by the Bombay Cricket Association where coach Yeshwant 'Baba' Sidhaye noticed his potential. Later he spent time training under the well-known coach Ramakant Achrekar at Shivaji Park, an experience that helped shape his accuracy and discipline as a bowler.

Career

Sandhu’s first-class breakthrough came around 1980 when he was selected for Bombay. Initially more of a tennis-ball cricketer and a reluctant leather-ball batter, he developed into a pace bowler during Kanga League matches. Early success in domestic cricket included standout bowling performances that led to strong showings in the Irani and Duleep Trophy competitions in the 1982–83 season.

He made his One Day International debut on 3 December 1982 against Pakistan and his Test debut on 14 January 1983, also against Pakistan. In Test cricket he played eight matches, scoring 214 runs with a highest score of 71 and taking 10 wickets. In 22 One Day Internationals he took 16 wickets and contributed useful lower-order runs when needed.

Sandhu is best remembered for his contributions to India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup campaign. In the tournament final he shared a vital 22-run last-wicket partnership that helped India reach a defendable total. During the West Indies innings he opened the bowling with Kapil Dev and removed Gordon Greenidge early, a dismissal that helped swing momentum toward India in the historic victory at Lord’s.

Across his international career Sandhu combined inswing and outswing in his bowling and was valued both for his bowling and for timely lower-order batting contributions, including notable innings of 71 in Test cricket and useful knocks in other international matches.

Domestic and coaching career

At domestic level Sandhu represented Bombay and later appeared for other teams in Indian domestic competitions, recording prolific wicket hauls in certain tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy and Kanga League. After his playing days he moved into coaching and cricket administration. He served as coach of Mumbai and Punjab teams, worked with the National Cricket Academy, and was Head Cricket Coach at the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association from September 2006 to June 2007.

He had a coaching stint in Kenya in 1990 and later coached Baroda, where he influenced the development of bowlers including making adjustments to Zaheer Khan’s run-up. Sandhu was associated with the Indian Cricket League for a period in 2008. From July 2008 he has been listed as a Cricket Consultant at NACL Inc. USA, and from November 2012 he has served as Director of Cricket Operations at The Sports Gurukul. He also served as Director of Academy at Essel Sports Pvt. Ltd. from August 2008 to April 2010 and joined Inswing Broking LLP as Managing Director in January 2015.

Writing and public recognition

Sandhu authored a book titled The Devil’s Pack, published on 1 February 2011, which recounts India’s campaign in the 1983 World Cup. His role in that tournament has also been represented on screen: in the Bollywood film 83, released on 24 December 2021, actor Ammy Virk portrayed Sandhu.

Public profile

Sandhu stands approximately 1.80 m (5'9") tall and is described as a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He has dark brown eyes and grey hair. He is married to Ravinder Kaur and the couple have two daughters. His father Harnam Singh Naz was a poet; other family members include his mother Gurcharan Kaur and siblings and stepfamily noted in his personal background.

Latest updates

Post-retirement, Sandhu has remained active in coaching, consultancy and cricket operations roles. He continues to be associated with cricket institutions including The Sports Gurukul and NACL Inc. USA, and his experiences from India’s 1983 World Cup remain a defining element of his public legacy.
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Recent Work

The Devil's Pack

Book about India's 1983 Cricket World Cup campaign

2011
Director Cricket Operations at The Sports Gurukul

Administrative and coaching role

2012 - present
Cricket Consultant at NACL Inc. USA

Consultancy role

2008 - present
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Career Highlights

  1. Member of India’s 1983 World Cup winning team; took the wicket of Gordon Greenidge in the final
  2. Test debut in January 1983 and ODI debut in December 1982
  3. Notable lower-order Test innings of 71
  4. Successful domestic performances that led to national selection, including strong showings in Duleep and Irani Trophy matches
  5. Coaching roles with Mumbai, Punjab, Baroda and the National Cricket Academy
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Balwinder Sandhu born?

3 August 1956

What is Balwinder Sandhu known for?

Cricketer (Fast Bowler)

What is Balwinder Sandhu’s marital status?

Married

Who is Balwinder Sandhu married to?

Ravinder Kaur