Vinod Kambli

Vinod Kambli was born into a Maharashtrian family. He hails from Bhadakambe, Sakharpa (Ratnagiri). He is a childhood friend of the Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.^[14]

He shared an unbroken partnership of 664 runs with Sachin Tendulkar in a school cricket match against St. Xavier's School, Fort. Kambli contributed 349 runs before their coach Ramakant Achrekar forced the pair to declare the innings; he then took six wickets for 37 runs in St. Xavier's first innings.^[15]

Kambli started his Ranji Trophy career with a six off the first ball he faced. He made his One Day International and Test debuts in 1991 and 1993, respectively. In Tests, he made four centuries including two double-centuries. He also holds the record for the fastest Indian player (14 innings) to reach 1,000 runs in Tests.^[16]

Kambli scored his maiden Test century in just his third Test, making 224 against England at Wankhede Stadium in 1993. In his next Test, against Zimbabwe, he scored 227. In his next Test series, he scored 125 and 120 against Sri Lanka. Kambli is the only cricketer to hit three consecutive Test centuries in three innings against three different countries.

In his 17 Tests, he averaged 69.13 in the first innings, and just 9.40 in the second innings, a difference of 59.73.

Kambli made his ODI debut as a teenager in 1991 against Pakistan during the Wills Sharjah Trophy. He played World Cup tournaments in 1992 and 1996. He has two ODI centuries into his credit: 100 not out against England at Jaipur in 1993 on his birthday, setting the record for becoming the first batsman to score an ODI hundred on his birthday,^[17][18] and 106 against Zimbabwe at Kanpur in the 1996 World Cup.

Kambli played his last Test match in 1995 at the age of only 23,^[11] while he played his last ODI in 2000. He formally announced his retirement from first-class cricket on 22 September, 2011.^[12]

He played for Boland province in the South African domestic circuit.^[19]

On 15 August 2009, Kambli launched his Khel Bharti Sports Academy^[20] in Mumbai and announced his retirement from cricket as he wished to coach at Khel Bharti Academy.

He has been the Head Coach for the MCA Academy in BKC, Mumbai.

Kambli fulfilled a position within Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy between 2018 and 2022.^[21] He finished his full time role as TMGA Head Coach for the Academy at DY Patil, Navi Mumbai in early 2022.

Kambli first married Noella Lewis, a Catholic at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Poona.^[22] She worked as a receptionist at Hotel Blue Diamond (in Pune) in the year 1998.^[23][24] After separating from her Kambli married fashion model Andrea Hewitt. The couple has a child born in June 2010.^[25]

After his marriage to his second wife Andrea, Kambli converted to catholicism, naming his son Jesus Christiano Kambli.^[26] Kambli has stated that he respects all religions.^[27]

Journalist Kunal Purandare has penned his biography called Vinod Kambli: The Lost Hero.

In 2009, Kambli denied having received any help from Sachin Tendulkar however, in 2024, Kambli said Tendulkar significantly helped him financially, and added that Tendulkar paid for his two surgeries.^[28][29]

On Friday, 29 November 2013, Vinod Kambli was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital, following a heart attack. Kambli was taken ill while he was driving from Chembur to Bandra and suddenly stopped the car. A policewoman on duty, Sujata Patil noticed he could not drive and arranged to rush him to Lilavati Hospital. Kambli underwent angioplasty on two of his blocked arteries in 2013.^[30][31] In August 2024, a video of Kambli being disoriented and struggling to walk surfaced on the internet, raising wide-spread concerns on his health once again.^[32][33] On Wednesday, 20 August 2025, Vinod Kambli's brother Virendra Kambli revealed that Vinod is currently recuperating at his residence in Bandra and is unable to speak properly.^[34]

Kambli joined the Bhakti Shakti Party^[35][36] and was appointed vice-president of the party. He contested the 2009 Assembly election from Vikhroli, Mumbai as a Lok Bharati Party candidate and lost the election.^[37] In 2011, he supported Anna Hazare's campaign of India against Corruption.