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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Indian cricketer}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox cricketer<br />
| name = Devraj Puri<br />
| image = <br />
| country = <br />
| fullname = <br />
| birth_date = {{birth date|1916|3|12|df=yes}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Lahore]], India<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|1971|12|31|1916|3|12|df=yes}}<br />
| death_place = Delhi, India<br />
| batting = Right-hand batsman<br />
| bowling = Right-arm fast medium<br />
| role = <br />
| club1 = [[Northern India cricket team|Northern India]]<br />
| year1 = [[1934–35 Ranji Trophy|1934/35]]–[[1944–45 Ranji Trophy|1944/45]]<br />
| clubnumber1 = <br />
| club2 = [[Bengal cricket team|Bengal]]<br />
| year2 = [[1941–42 Ranji Trophy|1941/42]]–[[1946–47 Ranji Trophy|1946/47]]<br />
| clubnumber2 =<br />
| date = 13 May 2021<br />
| club3 = [[Delhi cricket team|Delhi]]<br />
| year3 = [[1947–48 Ranji Trophy|1947/48]]<br />
| clubnumber3 =<br />
| club4 = [[Uttar Pradesh cricket team|Uttar Pradesh]]<br />
| year4 = [[1952–53 Ranji Trophy|1952/53]]<br />
| clubnumber4 =<br />
| columns = 1<br />
| column1 = [[first-class cricket|FC]]<br />
| matches1 = 18<br />
| runs1 = 274<br />
| bat avg1 = 13.04<br />
| 100s/50s1 = 0/1<br />
| top score1 = 58<br />
| deliveries1 = 2459<br />
| wickets1 = 54<br />
| bowl avg1 = 20.48<br />
| fivefor1 = 2<br />
| tenfor1 = 1<br />
| best bowling1 = 6/28<br />
| catches/stumpings1 = 14/0<br />
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11453/11453.html Cricketarchive<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Devraj Puri''' (12 March 1916 &ndash; 31 December 1971) was an Indian [[cricket]]er and commentator. He played [[first-class cricket]] for several teams including [[Bengal cricket team|Bengal]] and [[Delhi cricket team|Delhi]].<ref name="Bio">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/32340.html |title=Devraj Puri |access-date=1 April 2016 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> He played one unofficial Test match for India against the [[Australian cricket team in Ceylon and India in 1935–36|Australians in 1935-36]]. After his playing career, he became a cricket commentator. In contemporary reports, his name often appears as '''Dev Raj Puri''' or '''D. R. Puri'''. <br />
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==Biography==<br />
Devraj Puri was a bowler who was considered lightning quick in his early overs.<ref name=sw>{{cite book|author1=Ezekiel, Gulu | author2=Lokapally, Vijay |name-list-style=amp |title=Speed Merchants|publisher= Bloomsbury|year=2020|page=6-7|isbn=978-9-388-27134-9}}</ref> He made his debut in [[first class cricket]] for [[Northern India cricket team|Northern India]] in the [[1934-35 Ranji Trophy|first season]] of the [[Ranji Trophy]]. In his second match, he returned figures 4-1-3-3 as [[Southern Punjab cricket team (India)|Southern Punjab]] were bowled out for 22 runs; it would remain the lowest team score in the tournament for more than 70 years.<ref>[http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1934-35/IND_LOCAL/RANJI/S-PNJB_N-IND_RJI_05-07FEB1935.html Southern Punjab v Northern India, 1934-35]</ref> He took 6 wickets for 101 runs in the final against [[Mumbai cricket team|Bombay]] but Northern Punjab lost by 208 runs.<ref>[http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1934-35/IND_LOCAL/RANJI/BOM_N-IND_RJI_09-12MAR1935.html Bombay v Northern Punjab, 1934-35]</ref> In the 1935-36 season, Puri captained Punjab University to a win in the interuniversity [[Rohinton Baria Trophy]]. <br />
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In the absence of [[Amar Singh (cricketer)|Amar Singh]], he opened the bowling with [[Mohammad Nissar]] against the touring [[Australian cricket team in Ceylon and India in 1935–36|Australians]] in the third unofficial Test at Lahore in January 1936.<ref>[http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1935-36/AUS_IN_IND/AUS_IND_10-13JAN1936.html India v Australians, Lahore, 1935-36]</ref> A match report tells that Puri took a run-up of over 30 yards and "appeared to be faster than Nissar" but without the same control.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/dli.granth.8195/page/n7/mode/1up Bombay Chronicle match report]</ref> He was not selected for the [[Indian cricket team in England in 1936|1936 tour of England]]. According to his son [[Narottam Puri]], he was invited for the trials in Delhi but not allowed to bowl a single ball. This was apparently because he had played a few matches for the [[Bhupinder Singh of Patiala|Maharaja of Patiala]] who was an adversary of the [[Maharajkumar of Vizianagram]] who captained the touring side.<ref name=sw/><br />
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[[All India Radio]] invited Puri to do the radio commentary for the Delhi Test of the [[West Indian cricket team in India, Pakistan and Ceylon in 1948–49|1948-49 series against West Indies]] on the recommendation of the [[Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi|Nawab of Pataudi]].<ref>Dev Raj Puri, ''A Privileged Moment'', Sport and Pastime, 27 November 1965, p.21</ref> He continued to be a commentator for twenty years. In the Bombay Test against [[Australian cricket team in Ceylon and India in 1969–70|Australia in November 1969]], Puri criticised umpire [[Sambhu Pan]]'s decision to give [[Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan|S. Venkataraghavan]] out.<ref>[https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Cricket_Commentary_Commentators/epi-DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PT78&printsec=frontcover Ravi Chaturvedi, ''Cricket Commentary and Commentators'', p.78]</ref> Several spectators were carrying transistor radios and Puri's comments contributed in inflaming a crowd riot. A part of the [[Brabourne Stadium]] was set on fire.<ref>[https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Indian_Cricket_Controversies/c2ZYDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PT98&printsec=frontcover K.R.Wadhwaney, ''Indian Cricket Controversies'', p.98]</ref><br />
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Devraj Puri's son [[Narottam Puri|Narottam]] became a cricket commentator on radio and television.<ref>[https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/sportstar-archives-narottam-puri-radio-cricket-commentator/article31513182.ece Interview with Dr. Narottam Puri, Sportstar, 06 May, 2020]</ref> The Devraj Puri Trophy that was given for the North Zone winners in the Ranji Trophy was named after him.<ref>[http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1999-2000/IND_LOCAL/RANJI/ Ranji 1999-2000, zonal trophies]</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[List of Bengal cricketers]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* {{cricinfo|id=32340}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Puri, Devraj}}<br />
[[Category:1916 births]]<br />
[[Category:1971 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]<br />
[[Category:Bengal cricketers]]<br />
[[Category:Delhi cricketers]]<br />
[[Category:Northern India cricketers]]<br />
[[Category:United Provinces cricketers]]<br />
[[Category:Cricketers from Lahore]]</div>->Woodlot