158 Facts About Ranjitsinhji

Ranjitsinhji, was the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933, as Maharaja Jam Saheb, and a noted Test cricketer who played for the English cricket team.

Ranjitsinhji played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, and county cricket for Sussex.

Ranjitsinhji is widely known as the "Father of Indian Cricket", as he was one of the earliest top-class Indian cricketers to play the sport.

Ranjitsinhji is particularly associated with one shot, the leg glance, which he invented or popularised.

Ranjitsinhji was later Chancellor of the Indian Chamber of Princes, and represented India at the League of Nations.

Ranjitsinhji Jadeja was born on 10 September 1872 in Sadodar, a village in the state of Nawanagar in the western Indian province of Kathiawar in a Jadeja Rajput family.

Ranjitsinhji was the first son of a farmer, Jiwansinhji, and one of his wives.

Ranjitsinhji's name meant "the lion who conquers in battle", although he frequently suffered ill health as a child.

Ranjitsinhji's family were related to the ruling family of the state of Nawanagar through his grandfather, and head of his family, Jhalamsinhji.

The prospect of Ranjitsinhji's accession seemed to vanish in August 1882 when one of the women of Vibhaji's court gave birth to a son, Jaswantsinhji.

The British authorities, unhappy to discover Ranjitsinhji was never adopted and impressed by his potential at the college, initially tried to persuade Vibhaji to retain Ranjitsinhji as his heir but the Jam Sahib insisted Jaswantsinhji should succeed him.

In October 1884, the Government of India recognised Jaswantsinhji as Vibhaji's heir, but the Viceroy, Lord Ripon, believed that Ranjitsinhji should be compensated for losing his position.

The college was organised and run like an English public school, and Ranjitsinhji began to excel.

Ranjitsinhji did not take it particularly seriously and preferred tennis at the time.

One of the events to which Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji was a cricket match between Surrey County Cricket Club and the touring Australian team.

Ranjitsinhji was enthralled by the standard of cricket, and Charles Turner, an Australian known more as a bowler, scored a century in front of a large crowd; Ranjitsinhji later said he did not see a better innings for ten years.

Ranjitsinhji lived with the Borrisows until 1892 and remained close to them throughout his life.

Possibly as a consequence, Ranjitsinhji failed the preliminary entrance exam to Trinity College in 1889, but he and Ramsinhji were allowed to enter the college as "youths of position".

Nevertheless, Ranjitsinhji concentrated more on sport than study while at Cambridge, being content to work no more than necessary and he never graduated.

In June 1892, Ranjitsinhji left the Borrisow home and, with monetary assistance from relations, moved into his own rooms in the city of Cambridge.

However, Ranjitsinhji increasingly lived beyond his means to the point where he experienced financial difficulty.

Ranjitsinhji intended to pass the examinations to be called to the Bar and wrote to ask Vibhaji to provide more money to cover the costs; Vibhaji sent the money on the condition Ranjitsinhji returned to India once he passed the examination.

Ranjitsinhji intended to keep to this arrangement, although he did not plan a career as a barrister, but his debts were larger than he had thought and not only could he not afford the cost of the Bar examination, he was forced to leave Cambridge University, without graduating, in spring 1894.

At first, Ranjitsinhji had hoped to be awarded a Blue at tennis, but, possibly inspired by his visit to see the Australians play in 1888, he decided to concentrate on cricket.

However, Ranjitsinhji had neither the strength nor the range of batting strokes to succeed at this stage.

Around this time, Ranjitsinhji began to work with Daniel Hayward, a first-class cricketer and the father of future England batsman Thomas Hayward, on his batting technique.

Ranjitsinhji's main fault was a tendency to back away from the ball when facing a fast bowler, making it more likely he would be dismissed.

Ranjitsinhji found he could then flick the ball behind his legs, a highly unorthodox shot and likely, for most players, to result in their dismissal.

Ranjitsinhji probably developed his leg glance with Hayward around spring 1892, for during the remainder of that year, he scored around 2,000 runs in all cricket, far more than he had previously managed, making at least nine centuries, a feat he had never previously achieved in England.

Ranjitsinhji began to establish a reputation for unorthodox cricket, and attracted some interest to his play, but important cricketers did not take him seriously as he played contrary to the accepted way for an amateur or university batsman, established by the conventions in English public schools.

At least one Cambridge University cricketer believed that Ranjitsinhji should have played for the team in 1892; he played in two trial games with moderate success, but Jackson believed he was not good enough to play first-class cricket.

Jackson said in 1893 that underestimating Ranjitsinhji's ability was a big mistake.

However, Ranjitsinhji made his debut for Trinity in 1892 after injury ruled out another player and his subsequent form, including a century, kept him in the college team, achieving a batting average of 44, only Jackson averaging more.

When he observed, at the start of the 1893 cricket season, the dedication with which Ranjitsinhji was practising in the nets to increase his concentration against the highly regarded professional bowlers Tom Richardson and Bill Lockwood, Jackson asked Lockwood for his opinion.

Lockwood noted how much Ranjitsinhji had improved through practice and told Jackson he believed Ranjitsinhji was better than several players in the university team.

Ranjitsinhji made his first-class debut for Cambridge on 8 May 1893 against a team selected by Charles Thornton; he batted at number nine in the batting order and scored 18.

Ranjitsinhji maintained his place in the side over the next weeks, making substantial scores in several innings against bowlers with a good reputation.

Ranjitsinhji grew in confidence as the season progressed; critics commented on several occasions on the effectiveness of his cut shot and his fielding was regarded as exceptionally good.

Ranjitsinhji's batting made a great impression on spectators, who gave him an ovation at the end of the game.

The game appears to be the first occasion in first-class cricket where Ranjitsinhji used the leg glance.

Ranjitsinhji was awarded his Blue after the match, and following some more successful but brief innings, he played in the university match.

Ranjitsinhji was given a good reception by the crowd but scored only 9 and 0 in the game, which his team won.

Such was his impact that Ranjitsinhji was selected in representative games, playing for the Gentlemen against the Players at the Oval and for a team combining past and present players for both Oxford and Cambridge Universities against the Australians, scoring a total of 50 runs in three innings.

However, Ranjitsinhji was unable to continue his cricket with Cambridge as he had to leave before the start of the 1894 season.

Ranjitsinhji, owing money to many creditors in Cambridge who included personal friends, appealed to the British in India and Vibhaji was persuaded to advance a loan to cover Ranjitsinhji's expenses before his expected return to India.

Ranjitsinhji's debut came in a match against the MCC; after scoring 77 not out in his first innings and then taking six wickets, he scored his maiden first-class century in the second.

Ranjitsinhji scored centuries against Middlesex and Nottinghamshire in very difficult batting conditions, and his batting against the latter was regarded by critics as among the best of the season.

Ranjitsinhji was less effective at the end of the season, possibly suffering from mental and physical fatigue, but his overall record of 1,775 runs at an average of 49.31 placed him fourth in the national averages.

Some stories circulated that his father was the ruler of an Indian state and that he had been deprived of his rightful position as ruler of Nawanagar; despite his protestations that this was not correct, it is likely that Ranjitsinhji was the source of these stories.

Ranjitsinhji played several large innings at the start of the 1896 season, scoring faster and impressing critics with more daring shots.

Discussion continued in the press over how appropriate it was that he should play for England, but from that point, Ranjitsinhji was considered eligible to play for England.

Ranjitsinhji punished the Australian bowlers in a style that, up to that period of the season, no other English batsman had approached.

Ranjitsinhji repeatedly brought off his wonderful strokes on the leg side, and for a while had the Australian bowlers quite at his mercy.

Ranjitsinhji's fame increased after 1896, and among the praise for his cricket were hints in the press that he intended to pursue a political career, following other Indians in England.

Ranjitsinhji decided to return to India to further his case, prompted by the decision of Vibhaji's grandson Lakhuba to dispute the succession.

Ranjitsinhji wrote to Willoughby Kennedy, the English Administrator of Nawanagar, asking for money but none was forthcoming.

Ranjitsinhji took the opportunity to begin work on a cricket book which a publisher had invited him to write; Ranjitsinhji contributed seven chapters and other writers contributed the rest, then he and Fry revised the book together while travelling through Europe in the spring of 1897.

Ranjitsinhji scored 1,940 runs at 45.12, figures which matched other leading batsmen, but his relative loss of form, noted by critics, was owed partly to ill health.

Ranjitsinhji suffered from asthma throughout the season, and some commentators blamed the stress of producing his book.

Ranjitsinhji was one of the few successes on the tour and scored 1,157 runs in first-class matches at an average of 60.89.

Ranjitsinhji quickly acclimatised to the unfamiliar conditions and scored 189 in the first game, followed by scores of 64 and 112 in the following two matches.

However, shortly before the Test series was due to begin, Ranjitsinhji fell ill with quinsy and would have been unfit for the first Test but for heavy rain which postponed the start for three days.

Ranjitsinhji batted for 215 minutes and reached the highest score for England in Test matches; the record lasted for six years.

Ranjitsinhji's health remained poor, but he played in the rest of the series.

Ranjitsinhji scored a half-century in one innings of each of the next three Tests, each time facing a large Australian total.

The only Test in which Ranjitsinhji failed to reach fifty was the fifth, when England were defeated for the fourth time in succession.

Ranjitsinhji's tour was controversial in one aspect only: a series of articles he wrote for an Australian magazine.

Ranjitsinhji supported the decision of an umpire to no-ball some deliveries from Ernie Jones, in a match against Stoddart's team, for illegally throwing the ball rather than bowling it.

Ranjitsinhji was generally very popular in Australia with crowds, the general public and influential figures in society, although following these comments, the crowds at some matches barracked him while he was batting.

Ranjitsinhji spent the remainder of the year in India and did not return to England until March 1899.

Later, he met Pratap Singh, who had arranged for Ranjitsinhji to receive an honorary state appointment with an associated income.

Ranjitsinhji travelled extensively throughout India, trying to build support among the princes and local officials, and received an enthusiastic reception from the public wherever he went.

Ranjitsinhji spent time with his mother and family in Sarador.

Ranjitsinhji played plenty of cricket during his visit, with mixed success.

However, the increase was dependent upon him no longer pursuing his claim to the throne and not becoming involved in any plots in Nawanagar, and Ranjitsinhji was reluctant to have any conditions imposed on him.

Ranjitsinhji argued that he had been adopted as heir before being set aside without an enquiry, and that Jassaji was illegitimate.

The Government of Bombay rejected the appeal but Ranjitsinhji was able to use his contact with Rajinder Singh to meet the Viceroy, Lord Elgin.

Consequently, the Government of India began to investigate and under Elgin's successor, Lord Curzon, Ranjitsinhji's application was sent to Hamilton in London.

Ranjitsinhji's health seemed improved and financial assistance from his supporters in India gave him respite from monetary worries.

Ranjitsinhji was selected anyway and after scoring 42 in the first innings, he hit 93 not out in the second which ensured England drew the match after losing early wickets on the last day.

Ranjitsinhji's tactics were unorthodox as he took risks to ensure that he faced most of the bowling, even though he was batting with recognised batsmen.

Ranjitsinhji was less successful against the Australians after the first Test, possibly through over-anxiety to replicate his form for Sussex.

Ranjitsinhji was dismissed for low scores in the second and third games, but was slightly more successful with 21 and 49 not out in the fourth and he hit 54 in the final match.

In June 1899, Ranjitsinhji was appointed Sussex captain after Murdoch retired, ahead of other amateur cricketers.

Ranjitsinhji took the opportunity of leading the side to increase the amount of bowling he did, taking 31 wickets in the season.

Ranjitsinhji was successful in a variety of conditions and match situations, and after some criticism of his ability to play on difficult pitches for batting, scored 89 against Somerset and 202 against Middlesex on rain affected pitches.

Ranjitsinhji hit a record-breaking fifth double-hundred of the season in his penultimate game; this was his eleventh century of the season, which was briefly a record.

Ranjitsinhji suffered from ill-health early in the season and struggled in the first months.

The Australian cricket team was touring England once more, and Ranjitsinhji, having played against the team for the MCC, was selected for the first Test.

Wisden noted: "a misunderstanding, for which Ranjitsinhji considered himself somewhat unjustly blamed, led to MacLaren being run out, and then Ranjitsinhji himself quite upset by what had happened, was clean bowled".

Ranjitsinhji missed several matches, far more than he had missed in other seasons.

Ranjitsinhji returned for the fourth Test which England narrowly lost.

Ranjitsinhji claimed after the match, falsely, that Pratap Singh intended to pay the debt but needed approval from the India Office, but it is likely that Ranjitsinhji anticipated another petition in bankruptcy going before a court and that this affected his performance in the Test.

Nevertheless, Ranjitsinhji preferred to play for MCC against the Australians, scoring 60 and 10.

Ranjitsinhji managed to raise enough money, probably through a loan, to head off the threat of bankruptcy.

Ranjitsinhji spent the winter there, adding to the speculation surrounding him.

Ranjitsinhji scored 1,924 runs at 56.58 to achieve second place in the national batting averages, but his consistency never matched that of his earlier years and he was frustrated by his form.

Ranjitsinhji was not considered for the MCC tour of Australia that winter, despite the unavailability of several leading amateurs; instead, he returned to India.

In 1904, Ranjitsinhji led the batting averages for the fourth time, scoring 2,077 runs at 74.17.

In one match, Ranjitsinhji was responsible for the Sussex team failing to appear during a match, risking the forfeiture of the game, when he encouraged the team to remain at his residence in unsettled weather; conditions at the ground, and the opposition, were ready for play while the Sussex team remained 22 miles away.

In 1912, aged 39, Ranjitsinhji returned to England and played once more.

Ranjitsinhji scored 1,113 runs at 42.81, placing him eighth in the averages.

In total, Ranjitsinhji scored 24,692 runs at an average of 56.37, the highest career average of a batsman based mainly in England until Geoffrey Boycott retired in 1986.

Immediately afterwards, he chose to miss three Championship games at short notice and visited Edith Borrisow in Gilling for 10 days; Simon Wilde suggests that Ranjitsinhji had at this point chosen to leave for India after the cricket season.

Ranjitsinhji tried unsuccessfully to arrange an official meeting with Curzon to discuss the succession to Nawanagar and then chose to remain in India to cultivate his relationships with British officials, although there was little chance he could achieve much with regard to Nawanagar.

MacLaren returned to England ready for the 1905 season, and Ranjitsinhji may have intended to follow.

Ranjitsinhji secured declarations of direct or partial support from several other states.

An appeal from Lakhuba, which was eventually unsuccessful, delayed proceedings but Ranjitsinhji was installed as Jam Sahib on 11 March 1907.

Security was heavy and shortly after the ceremony and in unfamiliar surroundings, Ranjitsinhji secretly adopted a nephew as his heir.

When he first saw it, Ranjitsinhji described Jamnagar as "an evil slum".

Possibly prompted by his difficulty adjusting, Ranjitsinhji made little progress in his first four months.

Ranjitsinhji made enquiries into improving the collection of his land revenue, began to build a cricket pitch and went on shooting expeditions.

Ranjitsinhji recovered well, but his doctor reported to Fitzgerald that Ranjitsinhji needed a year in England to recover.

Ranjitsinhji claimed Ranjitsinhji repeatedly misled him, although he could not provide evidence for all of his statements.

Ranjitsinhji denied many of the claims but agreed to repay the initial loan to prevent embarrassment if the story got out.

Ranjitsinhji offered to repay half of the sum, but in the event gave back less than a quarter.

Ranjitsinhji became increasingly uncooperative and when the finished work arrived two weeks afterwards, he eventually returned them, stating that he was dissatisfied with the likeness.

Ranjitsinhji came before the courts over an 1896 loan covenant in a dispute between four women and himself and three other people.

Ranjitsinhji had his name taken out of the claim on the grounds that he was a ruling sovereign, a view which was supported by the India Office.

Ranjitsinhji felt betrayed by the government and criticised it in a speech at the dinner, and he felt unfairly blamed for the financial controversy.

Concerned and embarrassed by the negative publicity, the India Office advised Ranjitsinhji to be more careful with money.

Ranjitsinhji wrote back that he was "very hurt and annoyed at being continually thought ill of", and defended himself in a letter to the Times.

Ranjitsinhji returned from England to find that many of his staff had left and several assassination plans had been uncovered.

Ranjitsinhji tried to reclaim land given away by previous rulers and although he reduced revenue taxation, he imposed an additional land rent which, coupled with severe drought, led to rebellion in some villages; Ranjitsinhji ordered his army to destroy them in retribution.

Meanwhile, in England Lord Edward Winterton, to whom Ranjitsinhji owed money from his lease of the Shillinglee Park property, asked questions in the House of Commons regarding Ranjitsinhji's debts, visits to England and his actions as ruler of Nawanagar.

Ranjitsinhji resumed first-class cricket in 1912 but had to face his many debts in England; his solicitor, Hunt, was questioned by the India Office, although Hunt reassured the officials that Ranjitsinhji's debts were in hand.

Lord Winterton asked questions in the House of Commons, this time about money Ranjitsinhji owed to the Coupe Company for architectural designs.

Ranjitsinhji was made an honorary major in the British Army, but as any serving Indian princes were not allowed near the fighting by the British because of the risk involved, he did not see active service.

Ranjitsinhji went to France but the cold weather badly affected his health and he returned to England several times.

Ranjitsinhji's presence on a grouse shoot was a source of embarrassment to the authorities, who attempted to justify his presence in the area by hinting at his involvement in military business.

Ranjitsinhji spent two months recuperating in Scarborough and after attending the funeral of W G Grace in Kent, he went to India for his sister's marriage and did not return to England before the end of the war.

When Ranjitsinhji returned to India in 1915, Edith Borrisow remained in England.

Ranjitsinhji's father died in 1917 and she and her sister moved away from Gilling, eventually settling in Staines.

Ranjitsinhji organised the clearance of slums in Jamnagar and new houses, shops and roads were built.

Ranjitsinhji improved the state's finances to the extent that the railway was finally extended as the British resident had suggested in 1907.

Berthon continued in his role as Ranjitsinhji recovered from his injury, and the British Government wished him to remain in the position even when Ranjitsinhji was fully fit.

Ranjitsinhji disagreed and threatened to abdicate if he was forced to retain Berthon.

Furthermore, Ranjitsinhji personally was entitled to a 15-gun salute and officially granted the title of Maharaja.

Ranjitsinhji acquired many properties in India, and while retaining his property in Staines in England, bought a castle in Ballynahinch on the west coast of Ireland.

However, according to journalist Simon Wilde, Ranjitsinhji was never happy.

Ranjitsinhji was criticised for his failure to support Indian cricket, and his nephew Duleepsinhji later represented England in Test matches.

Ranjitsinhji encouraged his nephews to take up cricket, and several of them had minor success in school cricket.

However, he felt pressured by Ranjitsinhji and said that he only played to keep Ranjitsinhji happy.

For much of the remainder of his life, Ranjitsinhji devoted his time to supporting the interests of the Indian Princes.

Ranjitsinhji attempted to unite his fellow princes against the advance of democracy, the Independence Movement and the growing hostility of the Indian National Congress.

Ranjitsinhji was instrumental in the formation of the Chamber of Princes.

Ranjitsinhji secured a place on the Indian delegation to the League of Nations between 1920 and 1923, although he was a late replacement in 1922 and a substitute delegate in 1923.

Ranjitsinhji was assisted by his old friend and teammate C B Fry, who wrote his speeches.

Ranjitsinhji made a controversial speech in 1922 against the limits placed on the immigration of Indians into South Africa.

In 1927, Ranjitsinhji came under attack from the All India States Peoples Conference which accused him, among other things, of being an absentee ruler, high taxes and restricting liberties.

Ranjitsinhji responded through supporting published works by different authors, including Jamnagar and its Ruler in 1927, Nawanagar and its Critics in 1929 and The Land of Ranji and Duleep in 1931.

Ranjitsinhji visited England in 1930, to take part in talks on India's constitution.

Ranjitsinhji continued to oppose Indian federation, despite support for the idea from the British and some of the princes.

Ranjitsinhji was chancellor to the Chamber of Princes in 1933, shortly before he died.

Ranjitsinhji died of heart failure on 2 April 1933 after a short illness.

Whether or not the dispute was the catalyst for his final illness, Ranjitsinhji's health had gradually deteriorated in his final years.

Ranjitsinhji was cremated and his ashes were scattered over the River Ganges.

Ranjitsinhji is regarded as being one of the finest batsmen to have played for the Sussex County Cricket Club.