Palwankar Vithal
Encyclopedia
Palwankar Vithal was an India
n cricketer
, credited with being the first Dalit
(lower caste
) captain
of the Hindu
s cricket team in the Bombay Quadrangular
cricket
competition. He was the younger brother of the Indian spin bowler and Dalit social reformer Palwankar Baloo
; his other brothers Palwankar Shivram
and Palwankar Ganpat
were also cricketers.
caste, which suffered from the stigma of "untouchability
" and caste discrimination. (See Dilip K. Menon, Cultural History of Modern India, Chapter 1 : Ramachandra Guha The Heroic Struggles of the Palwankar Brothers. pgs 1-32. 2007, Bergahn Books, A Corner Of A Foreign Field, Ramachandra Guha, Picador India, 2002 and his autobiography, Majhe Crida Jeevan.). Born in 1886, Vithal was introduced to cricket by his elder brother Palwankar Baloo, who later sent him to attend the Elphinstone College
High School in Mumbai
(then Bombay), where he began playing cricket seriously.
, D. B. Deodhar
, as captain following the illness of the incumbent, M. D. Pai; with Baloo being dropped, most considered Shivram and Vithal to be the most senior players and leading candidates for the job. Critics attributed Deodhar's appointment to caste discrimination, and both Palwankar brothers, along with other rank-and-file cricketers withdrew from the team after publishing a letter making their protest public and criticising the selection committee for the "unsportsmanlike" decision. Supporters, rallied by the on-going campaign against untouchability led by Mahatma Gandhi
and other political leaders, raised money for the Palwankar brothers and petitioned for their inclusion in the team. When the recovered Pai returned to captaincy, both brothers were reinstated and Baloo selected to join the team as well. The brothers protested again when they were by-passed for the captaincy for the 1922 competition that was held in Pune
.
and European teams, where his captaincy and personal performance were praised. His four-year tenure (1923 to 1926) as captain was filled with similar successes and culminated with the Hindus winning the Quadrangular trophy.
Being dropped in favour of younger players in 1929, Vithal continued playing for clubs before retiring from first-class cricket in 1932; his nephew Y. B. Palwankar also played first-class cricket. He left the Hindus two years before the formation of the first Indian national cricket team. After his retirement he continued with his job at the Greater Indian Peninsular Railway, which he had joined after leaving school, while his eldest brother, Palwankar Baloo rose in Indian politics. Vithal died in Mumbai on November 26, 1971.
- Matches: 44
- Innings: 76
- Not Out: 8
- Runs: 2404
- Highest Score: 149
- Batting Average: 35:35
- 100s: 5
- 50s: 11
- Catches: 16
- Balls: 12
- Maiden overs: 0
- Runs: 14
- Wickets: 0
- Best Bowling Figures: 0-7
- Bowling Average: 0
- Economy rate: 7.00
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...
n cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
, credited with being the first Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
(lower caste
Caste system in India
The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis....
) captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s cricket team in the Bombay Quadrangular
Bombay Quadrangular
The Bombay Quadrangular was an influential cricket tournament held in Bombay, India from 1912 to 1936. At other times it was known variously as the Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, and the Bombay Pentangular....
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...
competition. He was the younger brother of the Indian spin bowler and Dalit social reformer Palwankar Baloo
Palwankar Baloo
Babaji Palwankar Baloo, , commonly known as Palwankar Baloo, was an Indian cricketer. He bowled left-arm orthodox spin with great accuracy and the ability to turn the ball both ways...
; his other brothers Palwankar Shivram
Palwankar Shivram
Babaji Palwankar Shivram was an Indian cricketer who was one of the most successful Dalit players for the Hindus cricket team in the Bombay Quadrangular competition...
and Palwankar Ganpat
Palwankar Ganpat
Palwankar Ganpat was an Indian cricketer and brother of the notable Dalit cricketers Palwankar Baloo, Palwankar Shivram and Palwankar Vithal. Like his brothers, Ganpat played for several clubs and the Hindus team in the Bombay Quadrangular competition....
were also cricketers.
Early years
The Palwankar family belong to the ChamarChamar
Chamar |tanner]]"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas...
caste, which suffered from the stigma of "untouchability
Untouchability
Untouchability is the social practice of ostracizing a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers...
" and caste discrimination. (See Dilip K. Menon, Cultural History of Modern India, Chapter 1 : Ramachandra Guha The Heroic Struggles of the Palwankar Brothers. pgs 1-32. 2007, Bergahn Books, A Corner Of A Foreign Field, Ramachandra Guha, Picador India, 2002 and his autobiography, Majhe Crida Jeevan.). Born in 1886, Vithal was introduced to cricket by his elder brother Palwankar Baloo, who later sent him to attend the Elphinstone College
Elphinstone College
Elphinstone College is an institution of higher education affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Established in 1856, it is one of the oldest colleges of the University of Mumbai. It was exalted as a prestigious seat of learning during the British Raj and is generally observed for its vibrant alumni...
High School in 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...
(then Bombay), where he began playing cricket seriously.
Prominence as a cricketer
In the following years, Vithal rose in the ranks of Indian cricketers as a stylish and skilled batsman, even as his elder brother Baloo enjoyed legendary status as a successful spin bowler. Despite the controversy over Baloo being passed over for the captaincy of the Hindu team, which was attributed by many to politics and caste discrimination, Vithal's career continued to progress. With his elder brothers ageing and approaching retirement, Vithal emerged as the future of the Palwankar family in cricket as well as one of the best talent in Indian cricket. In 1920, he and several other players protested the appointment of a BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
, D. B. Deodhar
D. B. Deodhar
Dinkar Balwant Deodhar was an Indian cricketer, who played in first class cricket matches during 1911 – 1948.Deodhar was born in Poona , India. He was, by profession, a professor at S. P. College in Pune....
, as captain following the illness of the incumbent, M. D. Pai; with Baloo being dropped, most considered Shivram and Vithal to be the most senior players and leading candidates for the job. Critics attributed Deodhar's appointment to caste discrimination, and both Palwankar brothers, along with other rank-and-file cricketers withdrew from the team after publishing a letter making their protest public and criticising the selection committee for the "unsportsmanlike" decision. Supporters, rallied by the on-going campaign against untouchability led by Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and other political leaders, raised money for the Palwankar brothers and petitioned for their inclusion in the team. When the recovered Pai returned to captaincy, both brothers were reinstated and Baloo selected to join the team as well. The brothers protested again when they were by-passed for the captaincy for the 1922 competition that was held in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
.
Captaincy
With the campaign against caste discrimination gaining nationwide support, the selection committee for the 1923 Quadrangular made history by appointed Vithal as the captain of the Hindus team, making him the first lower-caste Hindu to lead the team. Vithal led the team to thrilling victories over the MohammedanMohammedan
Mohammedan is a Western term for a follower of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. As an archaic English language term, it is used as both a noun and an adjective, meaning belonging or relating to, either Muhammad or the religion, doctrines, institutions and practices that he established...
and European teams, where his captaincy and personal performance were praised. His four-year tenure (1923 to 1926) as captain was filled with similar successes and culminated with the Hindus winning the Quadrangular trophy.
Being dropped in favour of younger players in 1929, Vithal continued playing for clubs before retiring from first-class cricket in 1932; his nephew Y. B. Palwankar also played first-class cricket. He left the Hindus two years before the formation of the first Indian national cricket team. After his retirement he continued with his job at the Greater Indian Peninsular Railway, which he had joined after leaving school, while his eldest brother, Palwankar Baloo rose in Indian politics. Vithal died in Mumbai on November 26, 1971.
Statistics
- First-Class Career Batting and Fielding (1910/11-1931/32)
- Matches: 44
- Innings: 76
- Not Out: 8
- Runs: 2404
- Highest Score: 149
- Batting Average: 35:35
- 100s: 5
- 50s: 11
- Catches: 16
- First-Class Career Bowling (1913/14-1926/27)
- Balls: 12
- Maiden overs: 0
- Runs: 14
- Wickets: 0
- Best Bowling Figures: 0-7
- Bowling Average: 0
- Economy rate: 7.00