The ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar was Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar (10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933), often known as Ranji or K. S. Ranjitsinhji. One of the best batsmen of all time is largely recognised as Ranji. He was referred to as “the Midsummer night’s dream of cricket” by Neville Cardus.
Ranjitsinhji was the first person of Indian origin to play Test cricket. He was the first Indian to pursue the sport of cricket, and he excelled as a batsmen who, with the help of his novel approach, revolutionised batting. He is regarded as one of the best batsmen to have ever lived. He revolutionised the batting by using unconventional technique and quick reactions. One of history’s greatest batsmen, Prince Ranjitsinhji is widely regarded as the father of Indian cricket.
Not just because he was a remarkable athlete, Ranjitsinhji is a significant character in the histories of modern India and the British Empire. He is significant because he was praised for being a superb athlete.
Ranjitsinhji stands out as a batsmen since he is a unique individual with a unique playing style. He began playing cricket when he was ten years old. While he was a student in Great Britain in 1891, he joined Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club. He later participated in university games before making his test debut for England.
Ranji scored 77 and 150 against the MCC on his Sussex debut in May 1895,and he quickly established himself as a regular in the team. In the world of sport in general, as well as the sphere of cricket, Ranji was a tremendous star. He immediately had an influence on Sussex’s batting and soon began attracted large crowds everywhere he played, both for the runs he scored and the manner in which he made them.
He was quickly chosen for the England side in 1896 thanks to his runs. Ranji visited Australia in 1897–18, and despite being unwell, he performed well, scoring 175 in the first test. He played regularly for England from that point on until 1902, scoring 989 runs at an average of 44.95 in fifteen tests for his adopted nation. He did, however, make the majority of his runs for Sussex. He scored 2,780 runs in 1896 with 10 hundreds, and 3,159 runs with eight centuries in 1899 to become the first batsmen to surpass 3,000 runs. He replicated the milestone in 1900 and scored 2,077 runs in 1905.
Ranji captained Sussex from 1899 to 1903 and scored 1,000 runs overall in his twelve seasons of play. Between 1895 and 1920, he scored 18,594 runs for Sussex, averaging 63.2 runs per innings, with a high of 285no against Somerset in 1901.
He scored 24,962 runs overall in 307 matches at an average of 56.37, including 72 hundreds and 109 fifties. His greatest performances were 285* and 133 wickets, including the best 6 for 53 and four times five wicket innings. The enchanted right-handed batsman played for England in 15 Test matches and scored 989 runs at an average of 44.95 with 206 fifty-plus scores. Ranji secured 15 catches and scored 39 runs from one wicket.
Ranjitsinhji was a batsman with exceptional talent. He executed every single stroke known to cricketers with ease and style, making his time spent at the wickets a source of the deepest pleasure for all experts, entertainment for the audience, and instruction for the student.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala donated the Ranji Trophy in honour of Ranjitsinhji. The Ranji Trophy tournament is played as the focal point of Indian domestic cricket since the 1934–1935 seasons. State and regional teams compete in this sport, which acts as a springboard for cricketers who later represent India internationally.
