#4 KS Ranjitsinhji
The ruler of Nawanagar, ‘Maharaja Jam Saheb’, and the ‘Midsummer night’s dream of cricket’, Ranjitsinhji was one of the greatest batsmen of all time, and the inventor of the unassuming leg-glance. A move to London to study at Cambridge University introduced the Kathiawar-born to the game of cricket, and he did not look back.
He played only 15 Tests, starting with the 1897-98 Ashes, where he made a cracking debut, scoring 175 in the first Test at Sydney, that remained his only century in Test cricket. He bowed out with the Manchester Test in 1902, and is one of the few cricketers born in India to have played the Ashes.
His nephew, Duleepsinhji, followed suit, and fared better at the Test level, despite playing fewer Tests than Ranji. He featured against Australia in the 1930 Ashes, and much like his uncle, scored a fluent 173 on debut.
A century later, Indian cricket remembers them through the Ranji and Duleep Trophy, two of the country's premier domestic tournaments.
Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️