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Duleepsinhji
Indian cricketer

Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji (1905–1959), often known as Duleep, was an Indian international cricketer who played for the English cricket team as a right-handed batsman and occasional leg break bowler before the Indian Independence. Born into the royal family of Nawanagar in present-day Gujarat, he was educated at Cheltenham College and Cambridge University. Duleep captained Sussex in the English county championship, scoring over 15,000 runs with 50 centuries. After his cricket career, he served as High Commissioner of India in Australia and New Zealand. The Duleep Trophy is named in his honor.

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Early and personal life

Duleepsinhji was born on 13 June 1905 in Nawanagar, Kathiawar, British India (present day Gujarat, India).2 He was from the royal family of Nawanagar state and his siblings included Himmatsinhji, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Himachal Pradesh and Digvijaysinhji, who became the ruler of Nawanagar.3 Ranjitsinhji, after whom the Indian premier first class cricket competition Ranji Trophy is named, was his uncle.45 He was educated at the Rajkumar College, Rajkot, before moving to England where he attended Cheltenham College and Cambridge University.6

Cricket career

Early years

Duleepsinhji represented Cheltenham Cricket Club from 1921 to 1923 and captained the side later. He had a batting average average of 52.36 with his highest score being 162 and took 50 wickets at an average of 13.66 runs with his leg breaks.7 In 1925, he moved to study in Cambridge University and represented the Cambridge University Cricket Club till 1928. In 1927, he scored his highest score of 254 against Middlesex which was the highest for Cambridge.

County career

Duleepsinhji made his first class debut for Sussex in 1926.8 He did not play the 1927 English cricket season due to suffering from a pulmonary disease and recuperated in Switzerland.

He returned to play for Sussex in 1928 and scored more than 2500 runs in each of the next three seasons.9 In the 1930 English cricket season, he made his top score of 333 runs on a single day against Northamptonshire which is the highest score by a Sussex batter till date.10 He scored centuries in each of the two innings three times in his career.11

In 1931, he was appointed the captain of Sussex and had his most prolific year scoring 12 centuries with four of them in successive innings.12 He retired from first class cricket in 1932 due to illness.13 He was one of the most prolific scorers in first class cricket with more than 15,485 runs including 50 centuries at an average of 49.95 with 9,178 runs including 35 centuries at an average of 51.56 for Sussex.14 He headed the batting average charts in the County championship in every season from 1926 to 1932. He was a prolific slip fielder and took 256 catches.15

Test career

He made his test debut for England against the visiting South African team in June 1929.16 His only tour abroad was with the Marylebone Cricket Club team in Australia and New Zealand in 1929-30, when he was the top scorer.17 In June 1930, he made his highest score of 173 in his first match against the Australian team at Lord's.18 Harold Gilligan, the captain rated him the best player of slow bowling on a wet pitch that he ever saw.19

Duleep had to withdraw from the MCC team for the bodyline tour of Australia in 1932.20 He made 12 appearances in tests and scored 995 runs at an average of 58.52 and has one of the highest averages in the history of test cricket.21

Public service

Following his playing career, he served as the High Commissioner of India in Australia and New Zealand and later as the chairman of the Public Service Commission of Saurashtra after his return to India.2223

Death

Duleepsinhji died on 5 December 1959, following a heart attack, in Bombay.24

Awards and honors

Legacy

The Duleep Trophy, one of the premier first class cricket competitions in India is named after him.26

Notes

Media related to Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji at Wikimedia Commons

  • v
  • t
  • e
Descendants of Jivansinhji
Jivansinhji1846–1916
Devisinhji1865–?Ranjitsinhji271872–1933Juvansinhji1875–1942Dilawarsinhji1883–1930Mohansinhji1886–1941
Savaisinhji1889–?Rajendrasinhji1899–1964Pratapsinhji281893–?Digvijaysinhji291895–1966Himmatsinhji301897–1973Duleepsinhji311905–1959
Vikramsinhji32Sukhdevsinhji331936–Daulatsinhji1935–Chatrapalsinhji341936–2009Shatrusalyasinhji351939–Madhavsinhji
Dajirajsinhji1891–1917Ajaysinhji361971–Indravijaysinhji371915–1981Ranvirsinhji381919–1962Indrajitsinhji391937–2011
Yadvendrasinhji401916–?
Notes:

References

  1. Duleepsinhji's name includes the Gujarati suffix -sinhji, composed of two separate elements: -sinh, a cognate of Singh (a name common amongst the Rajputs of Gujarat ), and -ji, a general honorific. His name is less commonly given as Duleepsinhji. During his playing career, Duleepsinhji was often recorded on scorecards as Duleep or K. S. Duleepsinhji. The latter usage derives from the honorifics Kumar Shri, which were not his given names, but part of his title. The use of initials derived from the tradition of distinguishing amateur players from professionals – amateurs had their initials listed on scorecards, whereas professionals were denoted by only their surnames. /wiki/Gujarati_language ↩

  2. "Duleep, profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/duleep-11951 ↩

  3. "Royalty on the cricket field". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 May 2018. https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/691775 ↩

  4. "Royalty on the cricket field". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 May 2018. https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/691775 ↩

  5. "Ranji Trophy". Retrieved 1 December 2023. http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/261615.html ↩

  6. "Who was India's first great batsman". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/stuart-wark-who-was-india-s-first-great-batsman-644227 ↩

  7. "Duleep, profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/duleep-11951 ↩

  8. "Duleep, profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/duleep-11951 ↩

  9. "Cricketer Spring Annual". The Cricketer. 1960. /wiki/The_Cricketer ↩

  10. "Duleep's triple". ESPNcricinfo. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2017. http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/149270.html ↩

  11. "Cricketer Spring Annual". The Cricketer. 1960. /wiki/The_Cricketer ↩

  12. "Duleep, profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/duleep-11951 ↩

  13. "Duleep, profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/duleep-11951 ↩

  14. "Cricketer Spring Annual". The Cricketer. 1960. /wiki/The_Cricketer ↩

  15. "Duleep, profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/duleep-11951 ↩

  16. "1st Test, Birmingham, June 15 - 18, 1929, South Africa tour of England". ESPNcricinfo. 1 May 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/south-africa-tour-of-england-1929-61821/england-vs-south-africa-1st-test-62567/full-scorecard ↩

  17. "MCC team in New Zealand 1929-30". ESPNcricinfo. 1 May 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/m-c-c-team-in-new-zealand-1929-30-151737 ↩

  18. "2nd Test, Lord's, June 27 - July 01, 1930, Australia tour of England". ESPNcricinfo. 1 May 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-england-1930-61334/england-vs-australia-2nd-test-62581/full-scorecard ↩

  19. "Cricketer Spring Annual". The Cricketer. 1960. /wiki/The_Cricketer ↩

  20. "Bodyline timeline". ESPNcricinfo. 1 May 2023. https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bodyline-timeline-july-october-1932-316173 ↩

  21. "Highest Averages, tests". ESPNcricinfo. 1 May 2023. https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;orderby=batting_average;template=results;type=batting ↩

  22. Rickson, Barry (2005). Duleepsinhji: Prince of Cricketers. Barry Wood Press. ISBN 978-1-9031-5865-4. 978-1-9031-5865-4 ↩

  23. "Cricketer, soldier and diplomacy". Hindustan Times. 18 December 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2023. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/cricketer-soldier-and-diplomacy/story-UPICOnlydbPtChyBUy5obJ.html ↩

  24. "Prince Duleepsinhji, 54". The New York Times. 6 December 1959. Retrieved 16 June 2019. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1959/12/06/88842830.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=ArticleEndCTA®ion=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=86 ↩

  25. "Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji:1930". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 September 2023. http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154691.html ↩

  26. "Duleep Trophy". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2019. http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/313361.html ↩

  27. Test cricketers /wiki/Test_cricket ↩

  28. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  29. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  30. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  31. Test cricketers /wiki/Test_cricket ↩

  32. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  33. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  34. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  35. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  36. Test cricketers /wiki/Test_cricket ↩

  37. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  38. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩

  39. Test cricketers /wiki/Test_cricket ↩

  40. First-class cricketers /wiki/First-class_cricket ↩