2017-10-31 Tue

Cricket, a game that has the heady magic of an addiction for sportsmen who have become legends in their lifetime and beyond! Cricket has become the unofficial national game of India. No other sport is as popular as cricket.

Today we talk about the one of such legendary cricketers, the all-rounder C.K. Nayudu.

Cottari Kanakiya Nayudu, often known as C.K. Nayudu has to his credit the honour of being the first ever captain of the Indian Test Cricket team. He is also famous for being the first Cricket player of India who was bestowed with the Padma Bhushan award.

Nayudu was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra on the 31st of October 1895, and was brought up in the same city, although he was Telugu by origin.

He made his first debut in 1916 in the Bombay Triangular, for the Hindus against the Europeans. He came into No.9 with his team tottering at 79 for 7. In the year 1923, Nayudu was invited by the ruler of Holkar to Indore, wherein he was appointed a Captain in the Holker’s army.

He played 207 matches and 7 tests with a run total of 11,852 and his highest score was 200, 411 wickets, 171 catches and 1 stumping.

He was the First Indian cricketer to be honoured with ‘Padma Bhushan’ by the Government of India in 1955 in recognition to his contribution to the development of sports.

Nayudu played his last Ranji Trophy Cricket contest for Uttar Pradesh in the year 1956-57 at the age of 62, in which he scored 52 runs. He died on the 14th of November 1967 in Indore.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has instituted "Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy" for cricketers under 22 years of age in 1974-75 as a tribute to him.

Department of post issued a 200 Paisa (2 Rupees) postage stamp in 1996 to pay a tribute to this legendary cricketer who gave the game its early impetus and set the trend which was to be followed by equally brilliant successors on the pitch.