Ajit Agarkar, also known as Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar, is a former Indian cricket player who has been a part of more than 200 international matches. In the Indian Premiere League he has been a representative of the Delhi Daredevils and the Kolkata Knight Riders. In the 40th Ranji Trophy in 2013, he played for Mumbai as a captain. The year 1998 marked his Test and One Day International (ODI) debuts while he made his T20 debut in 2006. In the ODIs he is accredited as the third highest wicket taker for India. He also represented India in 1999 Cricket World Cup and 2003 Cricket World Cup in both of which India reached to the finals. Ajit Agarkar is often referred as an all rounder in the Indian cricket team.
Early Life of Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar was born on 4th December 1977 in a Chitpavan Brahmin family in Mumbai. He grew up at his grandparents` place at Shivaji Park where several noted cricketers had practiced and went on to play for India. Ajit attended Shardashram Vidyamandir School and received coaching from Ramakant Achrekar. He completed his higher education from Ruparel College in Matunga.
Career of Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar made his debut in ODI on 1st April 1998 against Australia at Kochi. In the match he bagged the crucial wicket of Adam Gilchrist. Soon after the match, he received his first Man of the Match Award in Coca Cola Champions trophy match against 
Sri Lanka in which he took three important wickets, dismissing Sri Lanka for just 98. His performances in the Test series of 1999 and 2003 are also praiseworthy. In 2003, at Adelaide Oval Ajit Agarkar bagged 6 wickets for 41 and helped India to win their first test in Australia in over 20 years. His performances in ODI cricket have been more prominent in which he regularly took wickets. He also gave a number of good batting performances. In the 2006 India`s tour of West Indies, he was credited as the best Indian bowler in the one day series.
Ajit Agarkar is one of the few players who scored a Test century at Lords against England in 2002 India`s tour to England. He scored 109 not out. Despite of India`s defeat in the match, his batting skills received appreciations. In 2000 he also created a record of the fastest fifty in ODI by scoring 67 in 25 at Rajkot against Zimbabwe. Presently Ajit Agarkar is the third highest wicket taker for India with a score of 288 wickets after Javagal Srinath (315) and Anil Kumble (337). Among his appreciable performances in the domestic cricket, his game in the 2009-10 Ranji trophy finals against Karnataka is prominent in which he took 5 wickets in the 2009-10 Ranji trophy finals against Karnataka and helped Mumbai to win with a narrow margin.
In the three seasons of IPL he represented Kolkata Knight Riders while in the fourth season he joined Delhi Daredevils. He captained the Mumbai team in 2013 Ranji Trophy bagging victory. Ajit Agarkar declared his retirement from all forms of cricket on 16th October 2013.
Records of Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar in the early phase of his career broke Dennis Lillee`s world record for the fastest 50 wickets in ODIs by playing only 23 matches. He possessed the record from 1998 to 2009. He also made a record of scoring the fastest 50 in ODI by scoring 50 of 21 balls. He also has the record of being the quickest in terms of least number of matches played to take 200 wickets and complete 1000 runs in ODI. He achieved this in 133 matches breaking the previous record of South African player Shaun Pollock.
Personal Life of Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar is married to Fatima Ghadially, who is a Muslim Shia girl hailing from Mumbai. The couple is blessed with a son named Raj.