Vasant Raiji

Vasant Naisadrai Raiji (26 January 1920 – 13 June 2020) was an Indian first-class cricketer and cricket historian.[1] He featured in nine first class matches between 1939 and 1950.[2]

Vasant Raiji
Personal information
Full nameVasant Naisadrai Raiji
Born(1920-01-26)26 January 1920
Baroda, Gujarat, India
Died13 June 2020(2020-06-13) (aged 100)
Walkeshwar, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
BattingRight-handed
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1941-42Bombay
1944-45 to 1949-50Baroda
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 9
Runs scored 277
Batting average 23.08
100s/50s 0/2
Top score 68
Balls bowled 36
Wickets 0
Bowling average –
5 wickets in innings –
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling –
Catches/stumpings 1/–
Source: Cricket Archive, 28 January 2015

Life and career

Raiji was born in Baroda. Representing a Cricket Club of India team on his first-class debut in a festival match in 1939, he scored a duck in the first innings and just a single run in the second.[3][4] In 1941-42 he opened the batting for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy, and was a reserve for the Hindus team in the 1941 Bombay Pentangular.[5] He then moved to play for Baroda, and his two highest scores came in Baroda's victory over Maharashtra in the 1944-45 Ranji Trophy, when he made 68 and 53.[6] His younger brother Madan also played first-class cricket for Bombay.[7]

At the end of Raiji's playing career, he turned to writing, and is the author of several important works on early Indian cricket.[8][9] He was an accountant by profession and authored two books on the subject. In 1930s, he became one of the founding members of the Jolly Cricket Club in India along with his friend Anandji Dossa who was a renowned cricket statistician.[4]

Towards the end of his life he lived in the Walkeshwar area of South Mumbai.[10] On the death of B. K. Garudachar in February 2016 he became India's oldest first-class cricketer.[11] He celebrated his 100th birthday in January 2020, attended by Steve Waugh, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.[12] On 7 March 2020, he became the oldest living first-class cricketer following the death of John Manners. He died on 13 June 2020, at the age of 100. He is survived by his wife and their two daughters.[13][14]

Books
  • Ranji: The Legend and the Man (1963)
  • Duleep: The Man and His Game (co-edited; 1963)
  • Victor Trumper: The Beau Ideal of a Cricketer (edited; 1964)
  • Ranji: A Centenary Album (edited; 1972)
  • L. P. Jai: Memories of a Great Batsman (edited; 1976)
  • The Romance of the Ranji Trophy (1984)
  • India's Hambledon Men (1986)
  • CCI and the Brabourne Stadium, 1937-1987 (with Anandji Dossa; 1987)
  • C. K. Nayudu: The Shahenshah of Indian Cricket (1989)
  • Duleep: A Centenary Tribute (edited; 2005)
  • From Presidency to Pentangular (with Mohandas Menon; 2006)
  • Cricket Memories: Men and Matches of Bygone Days (2010)[15]

See also

References
  1. "Vasant Raiji, the world's oldest first-class cricketer, dies aged 100". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  2. Bhushan, Aditya (25 January 2018). "Vasant Raiji - One of India's oldest living First-Class cricketer". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  3. Acharya, Shayan. "Meet 100-year-old Vasant Raiji: India's oldest living first-class cricketer". Sportstar. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  4. "Vasant Raiji brings up special century | ESPNcricinfo.com". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  5. "Oldest Indian first-class cricketer set to turn 99". Hindustan Times. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  6. "Maharashtra v Baroda 1944-45". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  7. "Madan Raiji". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  8. "Vasant Raiji's Contribution To Indian Cricket Literature 'Very Substantial': Ramachandra Guha". Outlook India. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  9. "Only few have loved cricket more than Vasant Raiji". Hindustan Times. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  10. "Tendulkar, Waugh call on 99-year-old Ranji player Vasant Raiji". Sportstar. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  11. Wisden 2017, p. 196.
  12. "India's oldest living first-class cricketer Vasant Raiji turns 100". The Hindu. PTI. 26 January 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 January 2020.CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. "Vasant Raiji, India's oldest first-class cricketer, dies at 100". Indian Express. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  14. "Vasant Raiji, India's oldest first-class cricketer, passes away at 100". Hindustan Times. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  15. Chandler, Martin (25 January 2020). "Salute to a Centenarian". CricketWeb. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
Preceded by
John Manners		 Oldest Living First-Class Cricketer
7 March 2020 – 13 June 2020		 Succeeded by
Alan Burgess
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