Ruskin Bond:

Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond was born on May 19, 1934, in Kasauli, India, he was the son of Edith Clarke and Aubrey Bond. His father served in the Royal Air Force and frequently moved from place to place along with his son. His father taught English to the princesses of Jamnagar palace and Ruskin and his sister Ellen lived there till he was six.

Ruskin Bond is an eminent contemporary Indian writer of British descent. He prolifically authored inspiring children’s books and was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award to honor his work of literature.

The first twenty years of his life groomed him to be a good writer as it developed his personality in such a way. Despite his suffering and lonely childhood, Bond developed an optimistic outlook on life. He chose the path of becoming an earnest writer that his father wished him to follow. Therefore, he found solace in reading books that habit was also inculcated in him by his father. Some of his favorite reads include T.E.Lawrence, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte and Rudyard Kipling.

Some of other notable works of Ruskin Bond include Blue Umbrella, A Flight of Pigeons and Funny Side Up. His works have also been adapted for television and film. A BBC TV-series is based on his debut novel, short story “Susanna’s Seven Husbands” was adapted into a film as 7 Khoon Maaf and film Junoon is inspired by his A Flight of Pigeons.

Remo D’Souza

Remo D'Souza

Remo D’Souza was born on April 2, 1974, in Bangalore into a Hindu family as Ramesh Gopi Nair to Gopi Nair, a chef in the Indian Air Force, and Madhaviyamma, a housewife. He has an elder brother, Ganesh, and four sisters. Remo completed his schooling at the Air Force School, Jamnagar. During his school days, he was an athlete and won prizes in the 100 meter race.

Remo D’Souza studied in Jamnagar, Gujarat. He completed his 12th from there and during his HSC board exam, he realized that he didn’t have any interest in studies. He immediately left school and went to Mumbai, but his father wanted him to join the Indian Air Force. Whatever he has learned about dance until now is on his own. He learned to dance by watching movies, music videos, etc. He would rather say Michael Jackson is his guru as he used to copy his steps by watching his dance on the television and then choreograph his own steps by adding something extra.

Remo D’Souza is a choreographer in Bollywood films and music videos. He has choreographed a number of films. Remo made his television debut with the dance reality show Dance India Dance (DID) along with choreographer Terence Lewis and Geeta Kapoor as judges and mentors.  He made his directorial debut with the comedy film F.A.L.T.U., which received a positive response from critics.

Remo’s next directorial venture was the coming-of-age 3D dance-based film ABCD: Any Body Can Dance starring Prabhu Deva, Dharmesh Yelande, Lauren Gottlieb, Salman Yusuff Khan and Punit Pathak. ABCD received positive reviews from critics and the film’s soundtrack also received positive responses from critics.

In 2015, Remo directed the second installment of the ABCD franchise, titled Disney’s ABCD 2. It stars Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Raghav Juyal, Lauren Gottlieb, Dharmesh Yelande and Punit Pathak. In 2016, Remo directed A Flying Jatt, It was released on 24 August 2016, which starred Tiger Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nathan Jones. He also directed Race 3 the film featured Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah, Saqib Saleem and Freddy Daruwala. 

In 2020, Remo directed the third installment of ABCD Franchise titled “street Dancer 3D” which retained some of the original casts including Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Raghav Juyal, Dharmesh Juyal, Punit Pathak and added Nora Fatehi, Salman Yusuff Khan and Vartika Jha. 

He appeared in Jhalak Dikhla Jaa with the Indian actress Madhuri Dixit and director Karan Johar. He was also the “super judge” on the prime time dance show Dance Plus on Star Plus. He judged Dance Plus along with host Raghav Juyal and team captains Dharmesh Yelande, Shakti Mohan, and Punit Pathak. He then appeared as a judge on the reality show Dance Champions opposite Terence Lewis.

He awarded with many film awards, he got vijay awards for his enthiran film as Best Find of the Year. He awarded by best Choreography for the song “Badtameez Dil” & “Balam Pichkari” by the screen awards, Zee Cine Awards, International Film Academy Awards, Prooducer’s Guild Film Awards. He rewarded as Big Star Entertainment Award, Stardust Award & Screen Awards for Best Choreography of Film ABCD: Any Body Can Dance 2. He Also Rewarded as Best Choreographer for the film Bajirao Mastani & Kalank.

Ben Kingsley

Ben Kingsley

Kingsley was born Krishna Pandit Bhanji (કૃષ્ણા પંડિત ભાણજી) on 31 December 1943, His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, was born in the East Africa Protectorate to a family from the Indian city of Jamnagar, of Khoja Gujarati descent. Kingsley grew up in Pendlebury, Lancashire. Although Kingsley’s father was a Gujarati Khoja who practiced Isma’ili Islam, Kingsley himself was not raised in his father’s faith, and identifies as a Quaker.

Sir Ben Kingsley is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, A Grammy Award and two Gloden Globe Awards. Kingsley was appointed Knight Bachelor in 2002 for services to the British film industry. In 2010, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2013, he received the Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Filmed Entertainment.

In film, Kingsley is known for his starring role as Mahatma Gandhi in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982), for which he subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Actor and BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Subsequent roles have included Twelfth Night (1996), Sexy Beast (2000), House of Sand and Fog (2003), Thunderbirds (2004), Lucky Number Slevin (2006), Shutter Island (2010), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), Hugo (2011), The Dictator (2012), and Ender’s Game (2013). Kingsley played the character of Trevor Slattery in Iron Man 3 (2013), a role he would reprise in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Kingsley also voiced the antagonistic Archibald Snatcher in The Boxtrolls (2014), and Bagheera in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016).

Ferdinand Kingsley

Ferdinand Kingsley

Ferdinand James M. Kingsley was born on 13 February 1988 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, the son of actor Ben Kingsley and theatre director Alison Sutcliffe. His paternal grandfather, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji (1914–1968), was a Kenyan-born medical doctor from the Indian city of Jamnagar, being of Khoja Gujarati descent.

He is known for portraying the roles of Hamza Bey in the film Dracula Untold (2014), Mr. Francatelli in the television series Victoria (2016–2019), and Irving Thalberg in the film Mank (2020). He played roles in many television show titled The Painted with Words (2010), The hollow Crown (2012), Ripper Street (2013), Agatha Christie’s Poirot (2013), The Whale (2013), Borgia (2014), Still Star Crossed (2017), Doctor Who (2017) and The Sandman (2022). 

Duleepsinhji

Duleepsinhji

Duleepsinhji was born on 13 June 1905 in a Royal family of Nawanagar State, Kathiyawad. His brothers included Himmatsinhji, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Himachal Pradesh, and Digvijaysinhji, who succeeded the brothers’ uncle, Ranjitsinhji, as ruler of Nawanagar. Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji was a cricketer who played for England. Playing in the era before the Indian cricket team, he is considered one of India’s first great batsmen, alongside his uncle Ranjitsinhji, who also represented England.

He was educated at the Rajkumar College, Rajkot, before moving to England as a boy, where he attended Cheltenham College and Cambridge University. The Duleep Trophy, long one of the premier competitions in Indian first-class cricket, is named after him.

Duleepsinhji went on to achieve great success as a batsman for Cheltenham College, Cambridge University, Sussex and eventually England in a career cut short by recurrent illness. His Test average of 58.5 ranks him among the best batsmen to have played Test cricket. In 1930, playing for Sussex, he scored 333 runs in one day against Northamptonshire.

Following his playing career, and based on his experience as High Commissioner of India in Australia and New Zealand, Duleepsinhji was made Chairman of the Public Service Commission in the State of Saurashtra after his return to India.

Duleepsinhji also visited the first and only public utility thermal power station in the State, at that time located at Shapur Sorath, near a village called Vanthly (near Junagadh). As this power station was using crushed coal as a fuel for boilers and chlorination for the cooling water system, which normally polluted the local atmosphere; he wanted to see personally the working conditions and the amenities provided for the villager’s housing and the recreation facilities.

Duleepsinhji died on 5 December 1959, following a heart attack, in Bombay. The Duleep Trophy is named in his honour.

Salim Durani

Salim Durani

Salim Aziz Durani was born on 11 December 1934, in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is a former Indian cricketer who played in 29 Test matches from 1960 to 1973. An all-rounder, Durani was a slow left-arm orthodox bowler and a left-handed batsman famous for his six-hitting prowess. He is the only Indian Test cricketer to have been born in Afghanistan.

Durani was the hero of India’s series victory against England in 1961–62. He took 8 and 10 wickets in their wins at Kolkata and Chennai, respectively. Also, a decade later, he would be instrumental in India’s maiden victory against the West Indies at Port of Spain, taking the wickets of Clive Lloyd and Gary Sobers.

In his 50 Test innings, he made just Only one Century, 104 against the West Indies in 1962. He played for Gujarat and Saurashtra in first-class cricket. He made 14 hundreds in first-class cricket in which he managed 8545 runs at 33.37. He has the distinction of being the only cricketer that would respond to a demand from the crowd to hit a six. The crowd would cheer, “We want a sixer!” and Durani would hit one.

Durani had a special rapport with the spectators, who were once agitated when he was inexplicably dropped from the team for the Kanpur Test in 1973, with placards and slogans such as, “No Durani, no test!”. As he is the only Afghanistan-born Indian test cricketer he was also present during historic India vs Afghanistan test match on 14 June 2018. 

He appeared in the film charitra with Parveen Babi in 1973. He was the first cricketer to win an Arjuna Award. He was awarded the C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI in 2011.

Karsan Ghavri

Karsan Ghavri

Karsan Devjibhai Ghavri was born on 28 February 1951, in Rajkot, Saurashtra. He is a former Indian cricketer who played in 39 Test matches and 19 One Day Internationals from 1974 to 1981. He played in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups.

Ghavri started his career playing Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra, but later he played for Mumbai. In December 2019, Saurashtra Cricket Association appointed him Head Coach of their Ranji Team. In 2006 he was the head coach of Tripura.

Ghavri was a left-arm fast-medium pace bowler, with a long run-up and a high leaping action. He could also produce quickish but accurate left-arm finger spin. Altogether he took 109 Test wickets, including four five-wicket hauls. With the bat, he was usually found in the lower order but managed a couple of Test half-centuries including a career best 86 against Australia in Bombay. By the time he was dismissed he had made a record eighth-wicket partnership of 127 with Syed Kirmani.

His most successful series came against the West Indies in 1978–79 with 27 wickets. One of his memorable spells came during India’s tour of Australia in 1981 during the second innings of the 3rd Test match of the series. On the 4th day of that match, he got rid of Australia’s opening batsman John Dyson and captain Greg Chappell in 2 successive deliveries which set up the stage for India’s victory on the final day. India won that match by 59 runs.

Ajay Jadeja

Ajay Jadeja

Ajaysinhji Daulatsinhji Jadeja was born on 1 February 1971 in Jamnagar, Gujarat. He was born into an erstwhile Nawanagar royal family, which has a cricketing pedigree. His relatives include K. S. Ranjitsinhji, after whom the Ranji Trophy is named, and K. S. Duleepsinhji, for whom the Duleep Trophy is named. Jadeja’s Father Daulatsinhji Jadeja was a 3-time Member of Parliament from Jamnagar Loksabha.

He began his schooling at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, New Delhi. He was subsequently sent to Rajkumar College in Rajkot. He did not like boarding school, and in a particular year, he ran away from there 13 times. He finally settled down at the Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi, from where he completed his schooling.

Ajay Jadeja was a regular in the Indian cricket team between 1992 and 2000, playing 15 Test matches and 196 One Day Internationals. He was regarded as one of the best fielders in the Indian team in his time. One of his most memorable innings was his cameo in the 1996 Cricket World Cup quarter-final In Bengaluru against arch rivals Pakistan when he scored 45 off 25 balls, including 40 from the final two overs by Waqar Younis. Ajay Jadeja, along with Mohammed Azharuddin, holds the record for the highest one-day partnership 4th and 5th wicket, set against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka respectively.

Another memorable occasion of his career was taking 3 wickets for 3 runs in 1 over against England in Sharjah to win the match for India. Jadeja has captained India in 13 One-day matches. One of the favorite hunting grounds was the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, the venue of the quarter-final against Pakistan in the 1996 World Cup. The last time Jadeja played in a One Day International was against Pakistan in the Pepsi Asia Cup on 3 June 2000. He scored 93 in a game that India eventually lost. Jadeja was the top scorer hitting 8 fours and 4 sixes.

Jadeja’s cricketing achievements were later overshadowed by a 5-year ban for match-fixing. The ban was later quashed by the Delhi High Court on 27 January 2003, making Jadeja eligible to play domestic and international cricket. Jadeja had approached the Delhi High Court on 2 February 2001, challenging the BCCI order imposing the five-year ban on the basis of the K. Madhavan Committee recommendations. He was back playing Ranji in 2003. Ajay Jadeja is currently a cricket commentator.

Rajendrasinh Jadeja

Rajendra Jadeja

Rajendra Raisinh Jadeja aka Rajendra Jadeja was born on 29 November 1955, in Palanpur, Bombay State. He was an Indian cricketer, coach and former BCCI official referee. He played first-class cricket representing SaurashtraWest Zone and Mumbai. He featured in 50 first-class matches and in 11 List A matches.

Rajendra Jadeja played school cricket during his school days and also captained the Siddharth College cricket team at school level competitions. He made his first-class debut during the 1974–75 Ranji Trophy season playing for Saurashtra. He soon became a prominent member of the Saurashtra team in first-class cricket and also led the pace attack for Saurashtra from the front for over a decade, especially in first-class matches. In between, he also turned up for the Bombay cricket team in 2 first-class seasons in 1978-79 and 1979-80 being a regular member of the side. He was also part of the West Zone squad which emerged as runners-up to the North Zone in the 1978–79 Duleep Trophy final.

He was also selected to represent the West Zone and Indian Universities Under 22 team in a friendly home match against touring Marylebone Cricket Club during the 1976-77 season. He also eventually went on to play alongside veteran former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar during that match against MCC. In addition, Rajendra Jadeja also played for Nirlon in the Times Shield.

He was hailed as one of the finest right-arm medium pacers in domestic cricket during his playing days as well as regarded as a remarkable allrounder as he ended up his first-class career by scoring 1536 runs and capturing 134 wickets. Between 1974-75 to 1986-87, He appeared in 13 first-class seasons before retiring from professional cricket.

Rajendra Jadeja was later appointed an official referee by the Board of Control for Cricket in India and he officiated as a referee in 53 first-class matches, 18 List A matches and 34 T20 matches. He was also one of the referees during the 2015 Indian Premier League, where he officiated in a few group stage matches. His last match as the referee came on 7 November 2015 during a first-class match between Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy.

He then became a coach, selector and team manager of the Saurashtra Cricket Association. He also coached the Sorath Lions at the inaugural edition of the Saurashtra Premier League in 2019 where the team emerged as winners. His final coaching stint was with Saurashtra’s Under 23 during the 2019-20 season.

Jadeja was well known for his trademark mustache. His brother Dharmaraj Raisinh Jadeja also played first-class cricket for Saurashtra. He died on 16 May 2021 at the age of 65 in Jamnagar, Gujarat, after contracting COVID-19.

Maharaja Shree Rajendrasinhji Jadeja

Rajendrasinhji Jadeja

Maharaja Shree Rajendrasinhji Jadeja was born on 15 June 1899, at Sarodar in the Kathiawar region of what is now the western Indian state of Gujarat. The family belonged to the ruling Yaduvanshi Rajput dynasty of Nawanagar State (now Jamnagar), K.S. Ranjitsinhji, uncle of K.S.Duleepsinhji, two cricketing luminaries produced by that family.

General Maharaj Shri Rajendrasinhji Jadeja DSO, also known as K.S. Rajendrasinhji, was the first Chief of Army Staff of the Indian army, and the second Indian, after Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, to become Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

Rajendrasinhji attended Rajkumar College, Rajkot, then at Malvern College. Having resolved upon pursuing a military career, he joined the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1921, he was commissioned as a Second lieutenant onto the Unattached List for the Indian Army. He spent a year attached to the 3rd battalion the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and then joined the Indian Army and was posted to the 2nd Royal Lancers. As a King’s Commissioned Indian Officer, he held various ranks and offices in the British Indian Army and served with distinction during the Second World War. General Rajendrasinhji became the first Indian to be deputed to serve as Military Attache to Washington DC  in 1945–46.

In Second World War, in 1941, Rajendrasinhji was sent to the Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre as a squadron commander of the 2nd Lancers. In April 1941, his brigade, the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade, was surrounded at Mechili by numerically superior Axis forces. Being encircled, the allied forces were left with no option but to hazard a headlong foray through the enemy forces, into the desert. Rajendrasinhji’s squadron took the rearguard position during this operation. While the vanguard suffered much loss of life by a German tank attack, Ranjitsinhji’s squadron was not seriously impacted. He led his squadron in a charge through the enemy ranks, and they gained respite in the safety of some nearby hills. The squadron essayed further action on the enemy forces after nightfall and achieved considerable success; indeed, it returned to base with sixty prisoners of war.

For his courageous leadership and determined action, Rajendrasinhji was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1941. He was the first Indian to be honoured with this decoration during the Second World War.

Returning to India in October 1942, Rajendrasinhji was appointed commandant of 2 Royal Lancers in 1943. In May 1945, he was appointed the army’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and posted to Washington, with a further appointment as military attache there from June. He was promoted to brigadier in September 1946 and assigned to command the Piska sub-area. He was then appointed the first Indian director of the Indian Armoured Corps, and shortly before Independence was promoted acting Major General on 30 July 1947.

He Was Awarded by many medal and stars, including First Indian in WW2, Indian General Service Medal, 1939 -1945 Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, War Medal of 1939 – 1945, Defence Medal, Indian Independence Medal, King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, King George V Coronation Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal and Legion Of Merit. 

 

 

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja was born on 6 December 1988 in a Gujarati Rajput family in Navagam Ghed city of Jamnagar district in Gujarat. His father Anirudh was a watchman for a private security agency. His father wanted him to become an Army officer but his interest was in Cricket. Jadeja married Reeva Solanki on 17 April 2016, They have a daughter born in June 2017.

Jadeja made his first Under-19 appearance for India in 2005 at the age of 16. He was picked in the Indian squad for the 2006 U/19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka. India finished runners-up with Jadeja impressing in the final against Pakistan with a haul of 3 wickets. He was the vice-captain of the victorious Indian team at the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup. He played a crucial role with the ball in the tournament, taking 10 wickets in 6 games at an average of 13.

Jadeja made his first-class debut in the 2006–07 Duleep Trophy. He played for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy.

In 2012, Jadeja became the eighth player in history, and the first Indian player, to score three first-class triple centuries in his career, joining Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Bill Ponsford, Wally Hammond, WG Grace, Graeme Hick and Mike Hussey. His first came in early November 2011 against Orissa, in which he scored 314 off 375 balls. His second came in November 2012 against Gujarat, in which he scored 303 not out. His third came against Railways in December 2012, in which he scored 331 runs in 501 balls. Jadeja reached this milestone at the young age of only 23.

Jadeja became the fifth-fastest player ever to complete the double of 2000 runs and get 200 wickets in Tests, during his 56-run knock vs England in Nottingham.

His international debut came in the final match of the series with ODI Sri Lanka on 8 February 2009 where he scored 60*, although India lost the match. In the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Cuttack on 21 December 2009, Jadeja was awarded the man of the match award following a haul of four wickets. His best bowling is 4–32.

He made a comeback into the Indian ODI side in the third ODI against England at The Oval in London. Arriving at the crease with India 58–5 after 19 overs, he scored 78, adding 112 with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and 59 off only 5.1 overs with Ravichandran Ashwin to help his side reach 234–7 in 50 overs. He also took 2–42 from his 9 overs and was named “player of the match”.

After his impressive performance at the start of Ranji Trophy season 2012–13, when he scored two 300+ scores in 4 matches (4/125 and then 303* against Gujarat at Surat; 331 and 3/109 against Railways at Rajkot in the Ranji Trophy 2012–13), he was called up to join the 15-member India Test team to play the fourth Test against England at Nagpur. In his Test debut against England at Nagpur, he bowled 70 overs and picked 3/117.

In the historic 4–0 home Test series win against Australia in February–March 2013, Jadeja took 24 wickets, dismissing the Australian captain Michael Clarke five out of six times in the series which cemented his place in the team as an all-rounder.

He was ranked as the No.1 bowler in ODI Cricket by the ICC in August 2013. Jadeja is the first India bowler to top the rankings since Anil Kumble, who topped the table in 1996. He is the fourth India bowler after Kapil Dev, Maninder Singh and Kumble to be ranked No. 1.

Jadeja returned strongly in the next Ranji season (2015–16), where he picked up 38 wickets from 4 games and 215 runs, including 3 50+ scores. His strong performances were rewarded with selection for the Indian test side facing South Africa at home. Jadeja helped his team achieve victory, by taking 23 wickets in 4 games. He scored 109 runs in the series, which included crucial knocks lower down the order.

He along with Ravichandran Ashwin became the first pair of spinners to be jointly ranked number 1 bowler in ICC Test Rankings history. On 5 August 2017, Jadeja became the fastest left-arm bowler to reach 150 wickets in terms of number of Tests played (32).

On 5 October 2018, he scored his first century in Tests. In March 2019, during the second ODI against Australia, Jadeja became the third cricketer for India to score 2,000 runs and take 150 wickets in ODIs. In October 2019, in the first Test against South Africa, Jadeja took his 200th wicket in Test cricket.

On 5 March 2022, in a Test match against Sri Lanka, Jadeja broke the 35-year old record of Kapil Dev by scoring 175*. He made the record of the highest score by a No. 7 or below. He then took 5/41 and then 4/46 in the two innings, registering match figures of 9/87 to help India beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs. In July 2022, he was named as India’s vice-captain for the away ODI series against the West Indies.

Ravindra Jadeja was selected by the Rajasthan Royals for the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, and played an important role in their victory (Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final). Jadeja scored 135 runs from 14 matches at a strike rate of 131.06, his best score being 36* against Kings XI Punjab. He did even better in 2009, scoring 295 runs at a strike rate of 110.90

In 2011, he was bought by the Kochi Tuskers Kerala for $950,000. Kochi Tuskers were terminated from the IPL in September 2011, and in the 2012 IPL player auction, Jadeja was bought by Chennai Super Kings for $2 million (approx. Rs. 9.8 crore)Jadeja was the most expensive player of the year’s auction.

In the 19th match of the 2021 Indian Premier League, Jadeja hit 62*, including a joint-highest ever 37 runs in the last over bowled by Harshal Patel. He later took 3/13 in his four overs and was named Man of the Match.

Jadeja was appointed as the captain for the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2022 IPL season, replacing MS Dhoni. He however stepped down in the middle of the season, handing over the captaincy back to Dhoni. He was later ruled out of the tournament due to a rib injury.

He was awarded by ICC ODI Team of The Year in 2013 & 2016, Madhavrao Scindia Award for most wickets in Ranji Trophy in 2008–09, Ranked 1st in ICC Top 10 Test all-rounders and Reward with Arjuna Award in 2019.

Vinoo Mankad

Vinoo Mankad

 Mulvantrai Himmatlal “Vinoo” Mankad was born on 12 April 1917, He was an Indian cricketer who appeared in 44 Test matches for India between 1946 and 1959. He was best known for his world record setting opening partnership of 413 runs with Pankaj Roy in 1956, a record that stood for 52 years, and for running out a batsman “backing up” at the non-striker’s end. Mankading in cricket is named after him. In June 2021, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. According to Scyld Berry, “he was the best left-arm spinner in the world in his time, and the best spinning all-rounder”. His son Ashok Mankad also played Test cricket for India. Rahul Mankad, another son, played first-class cricket. 

Mankad caused controversy in 1947/48 on India’s tour of Australia when he ran out Bill Brown at the non-striker’s end in the second Test. Mankad paused during the delivery stride of his bowling run-up and broke the wicket while Brown was out of his crease backing up the striker in the accepted manner. He had done the same thing to Brown in the game against an Australian XI earlier on the tour, but his running out of Brown infuriated the Australian media, and running someone out in this way is now referred to around the world as “Mankading”. Although such an act is not an infringement of the laws of Cricket, to some it is considered unsporting and against the spirit of the game. 

The Government of India awarded him the civilian honor of “Padma Bhushan” in 1973. A road named in honor of Mankad is situated just south of the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. A statue in his memory is present in his birth town of Jamnagar, Gujarat. He was among the ten inductees named by the International Cricket Council for the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame ahead of the 2021 ICC World Test Championship final.

 

Ranjitsinhji Jadeja

Ranjitsinhji

Ranjitsinhji Jadeja was born on 10 September 1872 in Sadodar, a village in the state of Nawanagar in the western Indian province of Kathiawar in a Yaduvanshi Rajput family. His name meant “the lion who conquers in battle”. 

Ranjitsinhji’s family were related to the ruling family of the state of Nawanagar through his grandfather, and head of his family, Jhalamsinhji. The latter was a cousin of Vibhaji, the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar; Ranjitsinhji’s biographers later claimed that Jhalamsinhji had shown bravery fighting for Vibhaji in a successful battle.

In 1856, Vibhaji’s son, Kalubha, was born, becoming heir to Vibhaji’s throne. However, as Kalubha grew, he established a reputation for violence and terror. Among his actions were an attempt to poison his father and a multiple rape. Consequently, Vibhaji disinherited his son in 1877 and, having no other suitable heir, followed custom by adopting an heir from another branch of his family, that of Jhalamsinhji. The first selected heir died within six months of being adopted, either through fever or poisoning on the orders of Kalubha’s mother. The second choice, in October 1878, was Ranjitsinhji. Ranjitisinhji’s later version of events, reported by his biographer Roland Wild, was that his adoption had been carried out in secret, for fear of Vibhaji’s wives. According to Wild, “The boy’s father and grandfather watched the ceremony which was officially recorded by the India Office, the Government of India, and the Bombay Government. In October 1884, the Government of India recognised Jaswantsinhji as Vibhaji’s heir, but the Viceroy, Lord Ripon believed that Ranjitsinhji should be compensated for losing his position.

In March 1888, Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji to London, with two other students who exhibited potential. One of the events to which Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji was a cricket match between Surrey County Cricket Club and the touring Australian team. Ranjitsinhji was enthralled by the standard of cricket, and Charles Turner, an Australian known more as a bowler, scored a century in front of a large crowd; Ranjitsinhji later said he did not see a better innings for ten years. Macnaghten returned to India that September but arranged for Ranjitsinhji and one of the other students, Ramsinhji, to live in Cambridge.

At first, Ranjitsinhji had hoped to be awarded a Blue at tennis, but, possibly inspired by his visit to see the Australians play in 1888, he decided to concentrate on cricket. In 1889 and 1890, he played local cricket of a low standard, but following his stay in Bournemouth, he set out to improve his cricket. In June 1891 he joined the recently re-formed Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club and was successful enough in trial matches to represent the county in several games that September. His highest score was just 23 not out, but he was selected for a South of England team to play a local side—which had 19 players to make the match more competitive—and his score of 34 was the highest in the game. However, Ranjitsinhji had neither the strength nor the range of batting strokes to succeed at this stage.

One Cambridge University cricketer believed that Ranjitsinhji should have played for the team in 1892; he played in two trial games with moderate success, but Jackson believed he was not good enough to play first-class cricket. Jackson was probably also the reason Ranjitisinhji did not play cricket for Trinity College until 1892, despite his success for other teams. Jackson himself wrote in 1933 that, at the time, he lacked a “sympathetic interest for Indians”, and Simon Wilde has suggested that prejudice lay behind Jackson’s attitude. Jackson also said in 1893 that underestimating Ranjitsinhji’s ability was a big mistake. However, Ranjitsinhji made his debut for Trinity in 1892 after injury ruled out another player and his subsequent form, including a century, kept him in the college team, achieving a batting average of 44, only Jackson averaging more.

Ranjitsinhji played several large innings at the start of the 1896 season, scoring faster and impressing critics with more daring shots. Before June, he had hit hundreds against the highly regarded Yorkshire bowlers and in match-saving performances against Gloucestershire and Somerset and became the second batsman, and first amateur, to reach 1,000 runs in the season. Innings of 79 and 42 against the touring Australian team underlined his status as one of the few batsmen to cope with the visitors’ bowling spearhead, the highly regarded Ernie Jones; he concentrated on the leg-glance and cut shot, which the Australians were unable to counter through altered tactics.

Ranjitsinhji made his Test debut on 16 July 1896. After a cautious 62 in his first innings, he batted again when England followed on, 181 runs behind. After the second day, he had scored 42 and on the final morning, he scored 113 runs before the lunch interval, surviving a fast, hostile spell from Jones and playing many shots on the leg side to reach the first century scored that season against the tourists. His final score was 154 not out, and the next highest score for England on the last day was 19.

He was given an enthusiastic reception by the crowd and the report in Wisden stated: “The famous young Indian fairly rose to the occasion, playing an innings that could, without exaggeration, be fairly described as marvellous. He punished the Australian bowlers in a style that, up to that period of the season, no other English batsman had approached. He repeatedly brought off his wonderful strokes on the leg side, and for a while had the Australian bowlers quite at his mercy.”

In the first Test against the Australians, who were touring England once again. He was selected in this series and after scoring 42 in the first innings, he hit 93 not out in the second which ensured England drew the match after losing early wickets on the last day. His tactics were unorthodox as he took risks to ensure that he faced most of the bowling, even though he was batting with recognised batsmen. However, as the innings progressed, he rediscovered his batting touch. 

During June, he scored 1,000 runs: he scored four centuries, including a score of 197 which saved the game against Surrey, the eventual County Champions. He scored runs against the strong bowling of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and in August embarked on a sequence of 12 innings in which his lowest scores were 42 and 48 which enabled him to score 1,000 runs in August; no one had previously scored 1,000 runs in two separate months of the same season. In total, he scored 3,159 runs at an average of 63.18, becoming the first batsman to pass 3,000 first-class runs in a season, and made eight centuries.

Ranjitsinhji’s fame increased after 1896, and among the praise for his cricket were hints in the press that he intended to pursue a political career, following other Indians in England. Instead he began to turn his attention to the Nawanagar succession, beginning to make enquiries in India as to his position. Meanwhile, he began to cultivate potentially beneficial connections; at Queen Victoria’s jubilee celebrations, he established a friendship with Pratap Singh, the regent of Jodhpur, whom he later falsely described as his uncle.

Ranjitsinhji decided to return to India to further his case, prompted by the decision of Vibhaji’s grandson Lakhuba to dispute the succession. Meanwhile, the financial expectations of behaving as a prince pushed Ranjitsinhji even further into debt, and his allowance had been stopped after he had been given an advance on it to cover earlier money owed. He wrote to Willoughby Kennedy, the English Administrator of Nawanagar, asking for money but none was forthcoming.

In April 1898, Stoddart’s cricket team returned to England via Colombo. On arrival there, Ranjitsinhji left the team to return to India with the intention of pursuing his claim to the throne of Nawanagar. He spent the remainder of the year in India and did not return to England until March 1899. Initially, he tried to establish support for his claim, including his argument that Jassaji was illegitimate, among the Indian princes. Later, he met Pratap Singh, who had arranged for Ranjitsinhji to receive an honorary state appointment with an associated income. Pratap Singh also introduced him to Rajinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, a very wealthy individual.

Rajinder was very pro-British and an enthusiastic cricketer and soon became friends with Ranjitsinhji; he subsequently provided Ranjitsinhji with another source of income. Ranjitsinhji travelled extensively throughout India, trying to build support among the princes and local officials, and received an enthusiastic reception from the public wherever he went. He also spent time with his mother and family in Sarador. He played plenty of cricket during his visit, with mixed success. Although he scored 257 in one game, in another he failed to score in either innings, the only time this happened to him in any form of cricket.

After alleviating some of his financial concerns through journalism and writing, Ranjitsinhji was able to return to cricket. Like the previous season, cricket in 1903 was badly affected by weather, resulting in many difficult batting pitches. Ranjitsinhji scored 1,924 runs at 56.58 to achieve second place in the national batting averages, but his consistency never matched that of his earlier years and he was frustrated by his form. He played more regularly for Sussex and missed just two matches but displayed a reduced commitment to the club and resigned the captaincy in December, Fry assuming the role.

In 1904, Ranjitsinhji led the batting averages for the fourth time, scoring 2,077 runs at 74.17. In a ten-week sequence between June and August, he scored eight hundreds and five fifties, including innings against strong attacks and the leading counties. This included a highest score of 207 not out against Lancashire where Wisden reported that “From the first ball to the last in that superb display he was at the highest pitch of excellence, and beyond that the art of batting cannot go.” However, he missed eight Sussex games in total, suggesting his commitments had begun to lie elsewhere.

Four years after his previous appearances, and now known as H. H. the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, Ranjitsinhji returned to play cricket in England in 1908. Playing mainly in Sussex and London, he had put on weight and could no longer play in the same extravagant style he had previously used. Playing in many less competitive fixtures, he scored 1,138 runs at 45.52, finishing seventh in the averages.

Despite the discovery of an assassination plot on his life, in which Ranjitsinhji was implicated, Jassaji took over the administration of Nawanagar from the British in March 1903. Roland Wild later described it as “the shattering of [Ranjitsinhji’s] dreams”. During the 1904 season, Ranjitsinhji had a long meeting with Lord Curzon during a Sussex match. Immediately afterwards, he chose to miss three Championship games at short notice and visited Edith Borrisow in Gilling for 10 days; Simon Wilde suggests that Ranjitsinhji had at this point chosen to leave for India after the cricket season.

On 9 October 1904, Ranjitsinhji departed for India, accompanied by Archie MacLaren, with whom Ranjitsinhji had developed a close friendship on the tour to Australia in 1897–98, and who now became his personal secretary. In India, Ranjitsinhji and MacLaren were joined by Mansur Khachar and Lord Hawke, the Yorkshire captain. Ranjitsinhji tried unsuccessfully to arrange an official meeting with Curzon to discuss the succession to Nawanagar and then chose to remain in India to cultivate his relationships with British officials, although there was little chance he could achieve much with regard to Nawanagar.

Ranjitsinhji returned from England to find that many of his staff had left and several assassination plans had been uncovered. Rumours spread that he was about to abdicate. Despite the help of British officials, he made several controversial decisions, accumulated expensive possessions and attempted to increase his income. He tried to reclaim land given away by previous rulers and although he reduced revenue taxation, he imposed an additional land rent which, coupled with severe drought, led to rebellion in some villages; Ranjitsinhji ordered his army to destroy them in retribution.

When the First World War began in August 1914, Ranjitsinhji declared that the resources of his state were available to Britain, including a house that he owned at Staines which was converted into a hospital. In November 1914, he left to serve at the Western Front, leaving Berthon as administrator. Ranjitsinhji was made an honorary major in the British Army, but as any serving Indian princes were not allowed near the fighting by the British because of the risk involved, he did not see active service. Ranjitsinhji went to France but the cold weather badly affected his health and he returned to England several times.

On 31 August 1915, he took part in a grouse shooting party on the Yorkshire Moors near Langdale End. While on foot, he was accidentally shot in the right eye by another member of the party. After travelling to Leeds via the railway at Scarborough, a specialist removed the badly damaged eye on 2 August. Ranjitsinhji’s presence on a grouse shoot was a source of embarrassment to the authorities, who attempted to justify his presence in the area by hinting at his involvement in military business. He spent two months recuperating in Scarborough and after attending the funeral of W. G. Grace in Kent, he went to India for his sister’s marriage and did not return to England before the end of the war.

While Ranjitsinhji was in Europe at the start of the war, Berthon remained in Nawanagar as Administrator and began to implement modernisation programmes. He organised the clearance of slums in Jamnagar and new houses, shops and roads were built. 

Ranjitsinhji was given more outward displays of favour, including the upgrading of Nawanagar to a 13-gun salute state and the centre of its liaison with the British was transferred from the Government of Bombay to the Government of India. Furthermore, Ranjitsinhji personally was entitled to a 15-gun salute and officially granted the title of Maharaja.

Nawanagar’s finances were improved further by the construction of a port at Bedi. Encouraged by the British, the port was successful and thanks to favourable costs and charges it was used by many traders. As a consequence, Nawanagar’s revenue more than doubled between 1916 and 1925. Although Ranjitsinhji had no children, he was very close to his nephews and nieces; they lived in his palaces and he sent them to Britain to study. He encouraged his nephews to take up cricket, and several of them had minor success in school cricket. The most effective was Duleepsinhji; critics spotted a similarity to Ranjitsinhji in his style, and he had a successful county and Test career.

In 1927, Ranjitsinhji came under attack from the All India States Peoples Conference which accused him, among other things, of being an absentee ruler, high taxes and restricting liberties. He responded through supporting published works by different authors, including Jamnagar and its Ruler in 1927, Nawanagar and its Critics in 1929 and The Land of Ranji and Duleep in 1931.

Ranjitsinhji died of heart failure on 2 April 1933 after a short illness. McLeod recounts that “many” contemporary observers attributed Ranji’s death to an angry comment made publicly by Lord Willingdon, the Viceroy of India in the Chamber of Princes. Ranji had felt that he was speaking in defence of British interests and, The Morning Post said, “Feeling himself rebuked by the Power he wished to save, … he lost all desire to live”.

After his death, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) started the Ranji Trophy in 1934, with the first fixtures taking place in 1934–35. The trophy was donated by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, who also inaugurated it. Today it remains a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides.

Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja

Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja

Sir Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja Was born on 18 September 1895, he was the Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar from 1933 to 1966, succeeding his uncle, the famed cricketer Ranjitsinhji. 

Ranjitsinhji, a Yaduvanshi Rajput, was born at Sadodar, Gujarat on 18 September 1895 during the British Raj, nephew of the famed cricketer K.S. Ranjitsinhji. He was educated at The Rajkumar College, Rajkot, in Saurashtra, then at Malvern College and University College London.

Commissioned as second lieutenant in the British Army in 1919, Digvijaysinhji enjoyed a military career for over two decades. Attached to the 125th Napier’s Rifles (now 5th Battalion (Napier’s), The Rajputana Rifles) in 1920.

Two years later, Digvijaysinhji succeeded his uncle, who had adopted him as his heir. From 1939 until his demise, he was the longest serving President of Governing Council of The Rajkumar College, Rajkot.

Upon the passing of his uncle, Digvijaysinhji became Maharaja Jam Sahib in 1933, continuing his uncle’s policies of development and public service. Knighted in 1935, Sir Digvijaysinhji joined the Chamber of Princes, leading it as president from 1937 to 1943. Upholding the cricketing tradition of his uncle, he served as President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 1937–1938 and was a member of several prominent sporting clubs. He had previously played a single first-class match during the 1933–34 season, captaining Western India against the MCC during its tour of India and Ceylon.

In 1942, he established the Polish Children’s Camp in Jamnagar-Balachadi for refugee Polish children who were brought out of the USSR during World War II.

It existed until 1945, when it was closed and the children were transferred to Valivade, a quarter of the city of Kolhapur. The camp site today is part of 300 acre campus of the Sainik School, Balachadi. The Jamsaheb Digvijaysinh Jadeja School in Warsaw was established to honour this legacy. In 2016, 50 years after Jam Saheb’s death, Poland’s Parliament unanimously adopted a special resolution honouring Jam Saheb Digvijay Sinhji for his aid to Polish children refugees during World War II.

A documentary titled “Little Poland in India” was made in collaboration of both Indian and Polish governments to honour the efforts of Maharaja Jam Sahib and Kira Banasinska, who led the movement in India to rehabilitate Polish Refugees. After independence of India, he signed the Instrument of Accession to the Dominion of India on 15 August 1947. He merged Nawanagar into the United State of Kathiawar the following year, serving as its Rajpramukh until the Government of India abolished the post in 1956.

Divijaysinhji represented India as a delegate at the first session of the League of Nations in 1920. He was also the Deputy Leader of the Indian delegation to the UN, and chaired both the UN Administration Tribunal and the UN Negotiating Committee on Korean Rehabilitation following the Korean War.

After a reign of 33 years, Sir Digvijaysinhji died in Bombay on 3 February 1966, aged 70. He was succeeded by his only son, Shatrusalyasinhji, who was a first-class cricketer for Saurashtra.

He was honored by many medal and bars including

  • India General Service Medal w/ Wazirstan Clasp-1924
  • King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935
  • King George VI Coronation Medal-1937
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1939
  • 1939-1945 Star-1945
  • Africa Star-1945
  • Pacific Star-1945
  • War Medal 1939-1945-1945
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)-1947 (KCSI-1935)
  • India Service Medal-1945
  • Indian Independence Medal-1947
  • Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (posthumous) – 2011

Source: Wikipedia