A Century To Celebrate

The highest Vasant Raiji could achieve in first-class cricket was 68 runs. He outlived that total many winters ago and scored a century this Republic Day바카라�his 100th birthday. He is India바카라�s oldest living first-class cricketer, author, chronicler of Indian cricket바카라�s fledgling days, and chartered accountant. Age-related problems have dimmed his hearing; locomotion is aided in the form of a walker. But at his Walkeshwar home in Mumbai바카라�s Malabar Hills, he still follows cricket as keenly as he has done before바카라�when his brain was more alert, his muscles were springy. He pores over cricket news in the papers, watches matches on TV, says daughter Renuka, who flew from Australia to celebrate her father바카라�s 바카라�century바카라�. She is among the 30-odd family members who converged from across the world for the occasion.

Former India captain Nari Contractor, 85, was among the Mumbai-based admirers who visited him. Among those who couldn바카라�t reach but wished Raiji well was 91-year-old Dattajirao Gaekwad, his former Baroda teammate. 바카라�I remember he batted well. He was an attractive batsman and would hit the ball hard,바카라� Gaekwad, who is India바카라�s oldest living Test player and Test captain, tells Outlook from his Baroda home.

Raiji played nine first-class matches바카라�for Baroda, Bombay, and the Cricket Club of India (CCI)바카라�between 1939 and 1950. He바카라�s better known as a cricket author. 바카라�To the best of my knowledge, he has written 12 books. We published three,바카라� says Theo Braganza, proprietor of the Mumbai-based Marine Sports.

Historian/author Ramchandra Guha calls Raiji바카라�s contribution to cricket literature 바카라�very substantial바카라�. 바카라�He worked scrupulously and diligently. He바카라�s also a very nice and helpful man,바카라� says Guha, who바카라�s indebted to Raiji for helping him when he was writing A Corner of A Foreign Field. Statistician Sudhir Vaidya, 81, remembers Raiji바카라�a friend of 40 years바카라�for a special reason. 바카라�In 1969, I had written a biography of Vinoo Mankad. Raiji sent a copy to Cricket Quarterly magazine in London for a review without my knowledge. When the review appeared, he sent me a copy. I바카라�ll never forget his friendly gesture,바카라� he says.