10 things you didn't know about Maharaja Ranjitsinhji

Ranji’s friendship with CB Fry was what made him play for Sussex

6. Played for Sussex with international legends

After his failure to attend the Bar examination in India in 1894, Ranji was impatient to go back to England, where they had finally accepted him and his cricketing genius. Once he received his Blue from Cambridge, he was ready to fixate on a new target.

It arrived in the form of yesteryear legends CB Fry and Billy Murdoch. Ranji was already fast friends with both of them, and they persuaded him to play for Sussex. It would be the turning point in Ranji’s career as he joined the Sussex team and would take them to new heights.

7. Accumulated massive scores in county cricket

After making his debut for Sussex in 1895, Ranji managed to score more than 1,000 runs in 10 successive seasons. He finished with an enormous 72 centuries and 109 half-centuries and ended up as the highest scorer in the County championships in 1896, 1899 and 1900, passing 3,000 runs in the two latter seasons.

His twin centuries in a day at Hove are the stuff of legend as he single-handedly took on the Yorkshire bowling attack. He was particularly effective on the lively ground of Brighton, where he quickly became a fan favourite.

Ranji’s century against Nottinghamshire was widely regarded as the best performance in the 1895 season, and he finished with 1,775 runs in his first ever county stint. He was one step closer to making his debut for the English cricket team.

8. A controversial debut

Since England did not have a team of national selectors in 1896, it was up to Lord Harris, the president of the MCC, to choose the team to play Australia at Lord’s. Lord Harris was against Ranji’s inclusion in the English team, stating that Ranji had been born in India, and not England.

The fact that this rule did not seem to extend to other players like Billy Murdoch and John Ferris who were also born out of England did not escape the notice of the media. Nevertheless, Harris’ decision held, and Ranji was not selected for the first Test.

But Lord Harris’ power only extended to matches played in Lords’, and Ranji was picked for the second Test in Old Trafford, where he made 62 and 154, though it was in a losing cause.

9. Captained a team named after him

Though Ranjitsinhji did not play a lot of matches in India, he led a widely popularised tour of North America to face the Philadelphian Gentlemen. His team – named the Ranjitsinhji XI – faced a stiff task in foreign conditions, but Ranji was determined to prove that he could be a good captain as well.

The Ranjitsinhji XI won both the matches on the tour, with Ranji himself scoring 68 and 57 in the two innings he played. But if Ranji expected that this would pave the way for him to be the first Indian-born cricketer to captain England, he was in for a cruel realisation.

It seemed that prejudice was still rank among the England selectors, and Ranji never rose to be the English captain, something he had always desired.

10. Contributed to cricket even after retirement

Apart from Ranji’s achievements over the course of his career, his greatest legacy would be his nephew, K. S. Duleepsinhji. After a tragic accident to his eye ended his cricketing career, Ranji returned to India as a disappointed man.

But that soon turned to joy when he discovered that his nephew Duleepsinhji had begun to show an interest in cricket, and Ranji turned all his attention over to him. He tutored Duleep in his early days and helped him follow in his footsteps, paving the way for Duleep’s eventual admission to Cambridge.

The nephew raced past his uncle in his early years, achieving his Blue and making his debut for England much earlier than Ranji. He was also an excellent fielder, amassing 232 catches, mostly in the slips. Ranji was overjoyed when Duleep made 3 hundreds and 5 half-centuries in 12 Tests, even though he was often ill, which made him miss more Tests than he played.

Ranji ensured that his legacy lived on as Duleep was another revelation for England, despite being born in India. It was only fitting that he followed his uncle by having a trophy named after him – the Duleep Trophy.