Ranjitsinhji

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Ranjitsinhji bigraphy, stories - English cricketer

Ranjitsinhji : biography

10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933

Ranjitsinhji, the Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar GCSI, GBE (10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933) (also known as Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, Vibhaji Ranjitsinhji, K.S. Ranjitsinhji, Ranji or Smith) was ruler of Nawanagar State and a noted Test cricketer who played for the English cricket team. He also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, and county cricket for Sussex.

Ranji is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Neville Cardus describing him as "the Midsummer night’s dream of cricket". Unorthodox in technique and with fast reactions, he brought a new style to batting and revolutionised the game. Previously, batsmen had generally pushed forward; Ranji took advantage of the improving quality of pitches in his era and played more on the back foot, both in defence and attack. He is particularly associated with one shot, the leg glance, which he invented or popularised. The first-class cricket tournament in India, the Ranji Trophy, was named in his honour and inaugurated in 1935 by the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. His nephew Duleepsinhji followed Ranji’s path as a batsman playing first-class cricket in England and for the England cricket team.

Away from cricket, Ranji became Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar in 1907; was Chancellor of the Indian Chamber of Princes; and represented India at the League of Nations. His official title was Colonel H. H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji, Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, GCSI, GBE.

First spell with Sussex

County debut

Following his failure to take the Bar examinations and return to India, Ranjitsinhji’s allowance was stopped by Vibhaji. Ranjitsinhji, owing money to many creditors in Cambridge who included personal friends, appealed to the British in India and Vibhaji was persuaded to advance a loan to cover Ranjitsinhji’s expenses before his expected return to India.Wilde, pp. 50–51. Simon Wilde believes this incident encouraged a belief in Ranjitsinhji that someone else would always cover his debts.Wilde, p. 51. Even so, he was not called to the Bar in 1894, or at any point afterwards. Nor did he make any attempt to return to India, despite his assurances to Vibjahi. Instead, his developing friendship with Billy Murdoch and C. B. Fry led to Ranjitsinhji becoming interested in playing cricket for Sussex.Wilde, pp. 51–52. Murdoch, the Sussex captain, wished to increase his team’s playing strength. It is likely that, although he would play as an amateur, the club offered Ranjitsinhji a financial inducement, as was common for leading amateurs; given his monetary difficulties and unwillingness to return home, he was unlikely to refuse the offer.Wilde, pp. 52–53. However, these arrangements came too late for Ranjitsinhji to play for the county in 1894, and his cricket that year was limited to matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), festival games and benefit matches. Consequently, he could neither find any batting form nor build on his achievements of the previous year. Although struggling to bat against off spin in one game, he scored 94 while sharing a partnership of 200 runs with W. G. Grace in another.Wilde, p. 53.Ross, p. 50. In eight first-class games, he scored 387 runs at an average of 32.25.

Despite debts which continued to mount,Ross, p. 53. Ranjitsinhji prepared thoroughly before the 1895 season, practising in the nets at Cambridge with Tom Hayward and scoring heavily in club matches.Wilde, p. 54. Although Sussex were not a strong team, Ranjitsinhji was not certain of a place in the side.Ross, pp. 51–53. His debut came in a match against the MCC; after scoring 77 not out in his first innings and then taking six wickets, he scored his maiden first-class century in the second. In 155 minutes, he scored 150 runs and took his team close to an improbably victory; he became increasingly attacking throughout the innings and dominated the scoring. At the end, although his team lost, he was given an ovation by the crowd who were impressed by his strokeplay.Wilde, pp. 56–57. Yet it is unlikely that he met the qualification rules in force at the time for appearing in the County Championship; this was hinted at by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, but no protests were made.