Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji
Encyclopedia
Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji Jadeja
(June 13, 1905 - December 5, 1959) was a cricket
er who played for England
. He was educated at the Rajkumar College, Rajkot
, India.
(present day Gujarat state), one of the Princely States, in India
. While he was still playing school cricket, the future President of the MCC
, HS Altham
, wrote of him in Wisden: "In natural gifts of eye, wrist and footwork he is certainly blest far above the ordinary measure... there is no doubt about the judgment and certainty with which he takes toll of straight balls of anything but the most immaculate length. His late cutting is quite beautiful and there is a certain ease and maturity about all his batting methods that stamps him as of a different class from the ordinary school batsman." Duleepsinhji went on to achieve great success as a batsman for Cambridge University, Sussex
and eventually England
in a career cut short by recurrent illness. His Test average of 58.5 ranks him among the best batsmen to have played Test cricket.
Following his playing career, and based on his experience as High Commissioner
of India in Australia
and New Zealand
, Duleepsinhji was made Chairman of the Public Service Commission in the State of Saurashtra
after his return to India. As Maharaja of Navanagar (Jamnagar
) he took lot of interest in the well being of his subjects and the State governing.
Duleepsinhji also visited the first and the only public utility Thermal Power Station
in the State, at that time located at Shapur Sorath
, near a village Vanthly (near Junagadh
). As this power station was using crushed coal
as fuel for boilers and chlorination for the cooling water system, which normally polluted the local atmosphere, he wanted to see personally the working conditions and the amenities provided for the villagers housing and the recreation facilities.
Duleepsinhji died on December 5 1959 in Bombay (now Mumbai
). The Duleep Trophy
is named in his honour. His uncle Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, after whom the Ranji Trophy
is named, also played cricket for England.
Jadeja
Jadeja belong to the Yaduvanshi rajputs or Chandravanshi rajputs. They are one of the 36 royal dynasties of old tracing their origins to Lord Krishna...
(June 13, 1905 - December 5, 1959) was a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
. He was educated at the Rajkumar College, Rajkot
Rajkumar College, Rajkot
The Rajkumar College in Rajkot is one of the oldest K-12 institutions in India. RKC has a 26 acre campus located in the heart of Rajkot city.-History:...
, India.
Career
He was born in KathiawarKathiawar
Kathiawar or Kathiawad is a peninsula in western India, which is part of the Saurashtra region on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It is bounded on the north by the great wetland of the Rann of Kutch, on the northwest by the Gulf of Kutch, on the west and south by the Arabian Sea, and on...
(present day Gujarat state), one of the Princely States, in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. While he was still playing school cricket, the future President of the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, HS Altham
Harry Altham
Harry Surtees Altham, CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket"...
, wrote of him in Wisden: "In natural gifts of eye, wrist and footwork he is certainly blest far above the ordinary measure... there is no doubt about the judgment and certainty with which he takes toll of straight balls of anything but the most immaculate length. His late cutting is quite beautiful and there is a certain ease and maturity about all his batting methods that stamps him as of a different class from the ordinary school batsman." Duleepsinhji went on to achieve great success as a batsman for Cambridge University, Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
and eventually England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in a career cut short by recurrent illness. His Test average of 58.5 ranks him among the best batsmen to have played Test cricket.
Following his playing career, and based on his experience as High Commissioner
High Commissioner (Commonwealth)
In the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.-History:...
of India in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Duleepsinhji was made Chairman of the Public Service Commission in the State of Saurashtra
Saurashtra State
Saurashtra State also known as United State of Kathiawar was a separate State within Union of India from 1948 till 1956 with Rajkot as its Capital.-History:The Saurashtra State was earlier named as United State of Kathiawar...
after his return to India. As Maharaja of Navanagar (Jamnagar
Jamnagar
Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
) he took lot of interest in the well being of his subjects and the State governing.
Thermal power station
A thermal power station is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven. Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which drives an electrical generator. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is condensed in a condenser and recycled to where it was heated; this...
in the State, at that time located at Shapur Sorath
Shapur Sorath
Shapur the biggest village of Junagadh district and a Gram Panchayat, falls under Vanthali taluka Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The village is 8 km from Junagadh, on Junagadh – Veraval national highway – NH: 8D...
, near a village Vanthly (near Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
). As this power station was using crushed coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
as fuel for boilers and chlorination for the cooling water system, which normally polluted the local atmosphere, he wanted to see personally the working conditions and the amenities provided for the villagers housing and the recreation facilities.
Duleepsinhji died on December 5 1959 in Bombay (now Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
). The Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji .-History:...
is named in his honour. His uncle Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, after whom the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
is named, also played cricket for England.