Mohammad Kaif

Mohammad Kaif is a former Indian cricketer best remembered for his audacious match-winning 87* in the 2002 NatWest Series final at Lord’s and for raising India’s standards in ground fielding and running between the wickets. A right-hand batter and occasional off-spinner, Kaif represented India in 13 Tests and 125 ODIs between 2000 and 2006. He captained India’s U-19 team to the 2000 World Cup title, later became a domestic stalwart for Uttar Pradesh (and later Andhra and Chhattisgarh), and featured in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. After retiring in 2018, he moved into coaching and broadcasting.

Early Life

Kaif was born into a middle-class family in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Cricket was in the blood: his father, Mohammad Tarif, played domestic cricket for Railways and Uttar Pradesh, and his brother Mohammad Saif also played first-class cricket. Kaif honed his game at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur and quickly rose through age-group ranks. He captained India’s U-19 side to the 2000 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup title—an achievement that propelled him into the senior national conversations and underlined his leadership temperament at a young age.

Personal Life

In 2011, Kaif married Pooja Yadav, a journalist from Noida. The couple has two children, son Kabir and daughter Eva. Kaif briefly entered electoral politics, contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Phulpur on an Indian National Congress ticket; he later stepped away from politics. Post-retirement, he has worked in coaching roles and as a television analyst.

Domestic Career

Kaif made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh in 1998 and became a mainstay for more than a decade, scoring heavily in the Ranji Trophy and leading Central Zone/Uttar Pradesh in domestic tournaments. In 2014, he ended his long association with UP and signed a two-year deal with Andhra, taking over the Ranji captaincy and mentoring a young squad. Later, he represented Chhattisgarh from 2016 to 2018, adding experience to the newly formed side. By the end of his first-class career, Kaif amassed 10,229 runs at 38.60 with 19 hundreds—numbers that reflect his consistency across Indian domestic seasons.

Domestic (overall) highlights

  • First-class: 186 matches, 10,229 runs, avg 38.60, HS 202*

  • List A: 269 matches, 7,763 runs, avg 37.68, HS 151*

Test Career

Kaif’s Test debut came at age 20 against South Africa in Bengaluru (March 2000). Opportunities were intermittent early on, but he returned to the side in 2004 and compiled two resilient fifties against Australia at home. In 2006, he top-scored with a composed 91 in Nagpur to help India save the first Test vs England, and a few months later struck his maiden Test hundred—148 vs West Indies* at St Lucia—showcasing patience, shot selection, and running between the wickets. He played his last Test at Sabina Park, Jamaica, in June 2006. Overall, he scored 624 runs at 32.84 in 13 Tests, with 1 hundred and 3 fifties.

Test batting summary

Matches Innings Runs Average 100s/50s HS
13 22 624 32.84 1/3 148*

ODI Career

Kaif’s ODI debut came on 28 January 2002 against England in Kanpur. In the limited-overs format he found his best rhythm, often batting in the middle order and finishing innings with smart strike rotation. His defining moment arrived at Lord’s on 13 July 2002, when his 87 off 75* balls hauled India from 146/5 to a record 326 chase in the NatWest Series Final. He was named Player of the Match as India clinched a famous win.

Kaif was also Man of the Series vs Bangladesh in late 2004 for consistent contributions across three ODIs. He featured in India’s 2002 ICC Champions Trophy (joint winners) and the 2003 World Cup (runners-up). A superb catcher, he set a World Cup record by taking four catches in a match against Sri Lanka in 2003. He played his last ODI on 29 November 2006 against South Africa, finishing with 2,753 runs at 32.01 including 2 hundreds and 17 fifties.

ODI batting summary

Matches Innings Runs Average SR 100s/50s HS Catches
125 110 2,753 32.01 72.04 2/17 111* 55

IPL Career

Kaif was part of the inaugural IPL champions, Rajasthan Royals (2008), playing under Shane Warne and contributing as a senior Indian batter and elite fielder. He later turned out for Kings XI Punjab (2010) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (2011–2012). Across his IPL career he played 29 matches and scored 259 runs (SR ~103.6). Beyond playing, Kaif moved into coaching: assistant coach, Gujarat Lions (2017) and later assistant coach, Delhi Capitals (2019–2020). He also featured in the Legends League Cricket post-retirement.

IPL snapshot

Team Seasons Matches Runs HS Role
Rajasthan Royals 2008–2009 16 176 34 Middle-order batter/fielder
Kings XI Punjab 2010 4 28 14 Middle-order batter
Royal Challengers Bangalore 2011–2012 9 55 15 Middle-order batter
Career (aggregate) 2008–2012 29 259 34 Batting SR 103.60

Records and Achievements

  • U-19 World Cup–winning captain (2000): Led India’s juniors to the title.

  • NatWest Series Final hero (2002): Match-winning 87* at Lord’s.

  • ICC Champions Trophy (2002) – joint winners with Sri Lanka.

  • 2003 Cricket World Cup – runners-up with India.

  • Most catches by a fielder in a single World Cup match (4) vs Sri Lanka, 2003.

  • Domestic longevity: 10,000+ first-class runs with 19 hundreds.

  • Coaching milestones: Assistant coach roles with Gujarat Lions and Delhi Capitals.

  • Retirement: Announced retirement from all cricket on 13 July 2018, exactly 16 years after the NatWest final.

Career Statistics

Format Matches Runs Average 100s/50s HS Catches
Tests 13 624 32.84 1/3 148* 14
ODIs 125 2,753 32.01 2/17 111* 55
First-class 186 10,229 38.60 19/59 202* 170
List A 269 7,763 37.68 6/59 151* 125

Post-cricket

Beyond coaching, Kaif has been a regular television pundit and mentor in franchise/Legends circuits. He also dabbled in public life by contesting the 2014 general election before stepping away from active politics to focus on cricket-related roles and media.

Legacy

Mohammad Kaif’s legacy is two-fold: the iconic Lord’s finish that helped rewire India’s belief in chases, and a fielding standard that inspired a generation. Along with contemporaries like Yuvraj Singh, he injected athleticism into India’s white-ball cricket. His domestic output, leadership stints (U-19, Andhra), and later coaching roles complete the portrait of a cricketer who kept adding value to every team he represented.