Dattajirao Gaekwad (1928-2024), also known as Datta Gaekwad, , was an Indian cricketer, who played 11 Tests for India between 1952 and 1961. He captained the Indian team during the Indian cricket team’s 1959 tour of England. He was one of the highest run-getters in first-class cricket for Baroda in his domestic career, spanning 17 years, from 1947 to 1964. On 13 February 2024, he died in Vadodara due to age-related ailments.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Dattajirao Krishnarao Gaekwad was born on Saturday, 27 October 1928 (age 95 years; at the time of death) in Vadodara, British India (now Baroda, Gujarat, India). He was passionate about cricket since childhood and grew up training under cricketer C. S. Nayudu. In an interview, Gaekwad recalled training under Nayudu and said,
In 1948, CS Nayudu, brother of former India captain CK Nayudu, came to Baroda looking for a job; the Maharaja of Baroda had called him. When I was about 12 years old, CS Nayudu was my coach. He launched under-14 and under-16 tournaments in Baroda. He was a well-known leg-spin-googly bowler and I learnt a lot from him. I started bowling leg-spin and googly copying his style.”
He did his schooling at Maharani Chimnabai High School, Vadodara.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 10″
Hair Colour: Grey
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Krishnarao Gaekwad.
Wife & Children
His son Anshuman Gaekwad, is also a former cricketer who played 40 Tests from the 1970s to the ’80s.
Dattajirao Gaekwad with his son Anshuman Gaekwad
Others
His grandson, Shatrunjay Gaekwad, is also a cricketer who represents Baroda in the Ranji Trophy.
Career
Gaekwad began his cricketing journey playing for Bombay University. He played for Bombay University for two years. When Maharaja Sayaji University formed its cricket team, Gaekwad became its first captain. In the 1960s, Gaekwad served as a joint secretary at the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA).
As a Cricketer
Domestic
In 1948, he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Baroda. Gaekwad played for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy till 1961 during which he scored 3139 runs, which included 14 centuries. During those days, Baroda had several players in the Indian team like Vijay Hazare, Gul Mohammad, Chandu Borde, Sadu Shinde, and Amir Elahi among others. One of his significant contributions to Baroda was scoring a century in each innings against Gujarat in the 1949-50 Ranji season. As a captain, he led Baroda to win its maiden Ranji Trophy title in nine years in 1957-58, scoring a century in the final against Services at Moti Bagh Stadium in Baroda. Meanwhile, Vijay Hazare scored 203. During the season, he scored 218 against the defending champions Bombay. His highest was a 249 not out against Maharashtra in the 1959-60 season. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to translate his success in domestic cricket to the Test matches.
International
He was named in India’s squad for a tour of England in 1952.
An old picture of Dattajirao Gaekwad
On 5 June 1952, he made his test debut against England at Headingley in Leeds. Despite having no prior experience as an opening batsman, he opened for India during the tour. In the second innings of the Test, he was one of four players to be dismissed without scoring any runs. He got a chance to play for India in the last test against the West Indies in 1958-59. He scored 52 runs in the second innings, the only Test fifty of his career which led India to end the game in a draw. Gaekwad was appointed the captain of the Indian team on the tour of England in 1959. He played 23 of the 33 first-class matches. Gaekwad was one of the team’s leading scorers with 1174 runs (34.52) on the tour but didn’t perform well in the Tests. India lost all five Tests. Gaekwad played in four of the five Tests but scored only 128 runs at an average of 16.00. His final international game was against Pakistan in Chennai in 1961.
As a Coach
BCCI appointed him a coach in Baroda. He coached boys of various age groups in Baroda till 2000. In 1977-78, Gaekwad coached Ajit Lele, son of late BCCI and BCA secretary JY Lele. At that time, Ajit Lele was playing under-19 cricket
Death
On 13 February 2024, after battling for life for 12 days, Dattajirao Gaekwad died in Vadodara due to age-related ailments.
Facts/Trivia
- He was a right-hand batter and a right-arm leg spin bowler.
- Despite Dattaji’s remarkable achievements in domestic cricket, he was often outshone by Vijay Hazare, who is considered the finest Indian batsman of the 1950s. Whenever Dattaji hit a century in the Ranji final, Hazare surpassed him with a double century. In the 50s, Dattaji was a nightmare for the Bombay teams. He once scored a double century against it, but it was Hazare’s 126 that was remembered more by the older generation.
- He became India’s oldest living Test cricketer in 2016 after the death of former batter Deepak Shodhan at the age of 87 in Ahmedabad.
- He was fondly called DK Sir in the cricket community.
- He had distant family ties to the royal family of Baroda and served as the Deputy Comptroller for the state of Baroda. Talking about the same in an interview, he said,
When I was about eleven years old, I went and stayed in the palace. Fatehsinghrao who was a prince then wanted a companion and a committee was formed to select the same. I was selected along with two more boys. So, we used to stay in the palace with the young prince who was two years smaller to me.”
- It is belived that he was elevated to the position of captain during India’s tour of England in 1959 due to nepotism. Apparently, Dattajirao was close to the erstwhile Maharaja of Vadodara Fatehsinh Gaekwad, who was also the manager of the national team. Fatehsinh Gaekwad was also Dattajirao ‘s patron since he was 11 years old.
- In 1959, after he was selected as captain for India’s tour of England, he contracted typhoid. Although he was never fully fit during the tour, he played in 23 of the 33 first-class matches and was one of the team’s leading scorers, with 1174 runs at an average of 34.52.
- In 2020, the postal department paid tribute to Gaekwad by issuing a ‘Special Cover’ in his honour on the occasion of his 92nd birthday. Apart from Gaekwad’s photo, the postal cover also featured pictures of former test players from Baroda and three office-bearers, Fatehsingrao Gaekwad, Chirayu Amin and Jaywant Lele who served at the BCCI for more than five years.
The postal cover released by the postal department in 2020 in honour of Dattajirao Gaekwad on the occasion of his 92nd birthday
- In 2024, Irfan Pathan paid tribute to Gaekwad via a heartfelt tweet in which he said that Gaekwad used to tirelessly scout young talent for Baroda cricket sitting in his blue Maruti car at the Motibag cricket ground.
Categories: Cricket
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
