https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Vasant_RaijiVasant Raiji - Revision history2026-09-07T13:24:04ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vasant_Raiji&diff=143238&oldid=previmported>Sammyrice: clarification2021-04-22T08:47:02Z<p>clarification</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Indian cricketer}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox cricketer<br />
| name = Vasant Raiji<br />
| image = <br />
| caption = <br />
| country = India<br />
| fullname = Vasant Naisadrai Raiji<br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|1|26|df=yes}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Vadodara|Baroda]], [[Gujarat]], [[British India|India]]<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|6|13|1920|1|26|df=yes}}<br />
| death_place = [[Walkeshwar]], [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India<br />
| batting = Right-handed<br />
| bowling = <br />
| family = <br />
| club1 = [[Mumbai cricket team|Bombay]]<br />
| year1 = 1941-42<br />
| club2 = [[Baroda cricket team|Baroda]]<br />
| year2 = 1944-45 to 1949-50<br />
| columns = 1<br />
| column1 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]<br />
| matches1 = 9 <br />
| runs1 = 277<br />
| bat avg1 = 23.08<br />
| 100s/50s1 = 0/2<br />
| top score1 = 68<br />
| deliveries1 = 36<br />
| wickets1 = 0<br />
| bowl avg1 = –<br />
| fivefor1 = –<br />
| tenfor1 = –<br />
| best bowling1 = –<br />
| catches/stumpings1= 1/&ndash;<br />
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/40/40472/40472.html Cricket Archive<br />
| date = 28 January<br />
| year = 2015<br />
}} <br />
'''Vasant Naisadrai Raiji''' (26 January 1920 – 13 June 2020) was an Indian [[first-class cricket]]er and [[cricket historian]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/29305070/vasant-raiji,-former-bombay-baroda-batsman,-dies-aged-100 |title=Vasant Raiji, the world's oldest first-class cricketer, dies aged 100 |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=13 June 2020}}</ref> He featured in nine first class matches between 1939 and 1950.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bhushan|first=Aditya|date=2018-01-25|title=Vasant Raiji - One of India's oldest living First-Class cricketer|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/vasant-raiji-one-india-s-oldest-living-first-class-cricketer|access-date=2020-06-13|website=www.sportskeeda.com|language=en-us}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Life and career==<br />
Raiji was born in [[Vadodara|Baroda]]. Representing a [[Cricket Club of India]] team on his first-class debut in a festival match in 1939, he scored a [[Duck (cricket)|duck]] in the first innings and just a single run in the second.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Acharya|first=Shayan|title=Meet 100-year-old Vasant Raiji: India's oldest living first-class cricketer|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/vasant-raiji-turns-100-years-old-india-oldest-first-class-cricketer-tendulkar-waugh/article30657008.ece|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Sportstar|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Vasant Raiji brings up special century {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28564619/vasant-raiji-brings-special-century|access-date=2020-06-13|website=www.espncricinfo.com|language=en}}</ref> In 1941-42 he opened the batting for [[Mumbai cricket team|Bombay]] in the [[Ranji Trophy]], and was a reserve for the [[Hindus cricket team|Hindus team]] in the 1941 [[Bombay Pentangular]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-26|title=Oldest Indian first-class cricketer set to turn 99|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/oldest-indian-first-class-cricketer-set-to-turn-99/story-OFE89Sw02fXVSCUWsus37H.html|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> He then moved to play for [[Baroda cricket team|Baroda]], and his two highest scores came in Baroda's victory over [[Maharashtra cricket team|Maharashtra]] in the 1944-45 Ranji Trophy, when he made 68 and 53.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/17/17449.html| title = Maharashtra v Baroda 1944-45| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 28 January 2015}}</ref> His younger brother Madan also played first-class cricket for Bombay.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/40/40471/40471.html| title = Madan Raiji| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 28 January 2015}}</ref><br />
<br />
At the end of Raiji's playing career, he turned to writing, and is the author of several important works on early [[Cricket in India|Indian cricket]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Vasant Raiji’s Contribution To Indian Cricket Literature 'Very Substantial': Ramachandra Guha |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/sports-news-vasant-raijis-contribution-to-indian-cricket-literature-very-substantial-ramachandra-guha/346376 |website=Outlook India |access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-23|title=Only few have loved cricket more than Vasant Raiji|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/only-few-have-loved-cricket-more-than-vasant-raiji/story-9PS95RVzyXoKNR74PwcVTK.html|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> He was an accountant by profession and authored two books on the subject. In the 1930s he was one of the founding members of the Jolly Cricket Club in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] along with his friend [[Anandji Dossa]], who was a renowned cricket statistician.<ref name=":0" /> <br />
<br />
Towards the end of his life he lived in the [[Walkeshwar]] area of [[South Mumbai]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tendulkar, Waugh call on 99-year-old Ranji player Vasant Raiji |date=13 January 2020|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/tendulkar-waugh-call-on-99-year-old-ranji-player-vasant-raiji/article30560021.ece |website=Sportstar |access-date=16 January 2020}}</ref> On the death of [[B. K. Garudachar]] in February 2016 he became India's oldest first-class cricketer.<ref>''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]'' 2017, p. 196.</ref> He celebrated his 100th birthday in January 2020, attended by [[Steve Waugh]], [[Sunil Gavaskar]] and [[Sachin Tendulkar]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/indias-oldest-living-first-class-cricketer-vasant-raiji-turns-100/article30657188.ece|title=India’s oldest living first-class cricketer Vasant Raiji turns 100|date=2020-01-26|work=The Hindu|access-date=2020-01-26|others=PTI|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> On 7 March 2020, he became the oldest living first-class cricketer following the death of [[John Manners (cricketer)|John Manners]]. He died on 13 June 2020, at the age of 100. He is survived by his wife and their two daughters.<ref>{{cite news |title=Vasant Raiji, India’s oldest first-class cricketer, dies at 100 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/vasant-raiji-indias-oldest-first-class-cricketer-dies-at-100-6456608/ |access-date=13 June 2020 |work=Indian Express |date=13 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Vasant Raiji, India’s oldest first-class cricketer, passes away at 100|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/vasant-raiji-india-s-oldest-first-class-cricketer-passes-away-at-100/story-XzhQDmVygubfd8cL7y0CpM.html|access-date=13 June 2020 |work=Hindustan Times|date=13 June 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Books==<br />
* ''[[Ranji]]: The Legend and the Man'' (1963)<br />
* ''[[Duleep]]: The Man and His Game'' (co-edited; 1963)<br />
* ''[[Victor Trumper]]: The Beau Ideal of a Cricketer'' (edited; 1964)<br />
* ''Ranji: A Centenary Album'' (edited; 1972) <br />
* ''[[L. P. Jai]]: Memories of a Great Batsman'' (edited; 1976)<br />
* ''The Romance of the [[Ranji Trophy]]'' (1984)<br />
* ''India's Hambledon Men'' (1986)<br />
* ''CCI and the [[Brabourne Stadium]], 1937-1987'' (with [[Anandji Dossa]]; 1987)<br />
* ''[[C. K. Nayudu]]: The Shahenshah of Indian Cricket'' (1989)<br />
* ''Duleep: A Centenary Tribute'' (edited; 2005)<br />
* ''From Presidency to Pentangular'' (with Mohandas Menon; 2006)<br />
* ''Cricket Memories: Men and Matches of Bygone Days'' (2010)<ref>{{cite web |date=25 January 2020|last1=Chandler |first1=Martin |title=Salute to a Centenarian |url=http://www.cricketweb.net/salute-to-a-centenarian/ |website=CricketWeb |access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Lists of oldest cricketers]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}} <br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* {{cricinfo|id=33480}}<br />
* [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/40/40472/40472.html Vasant Raiji CricketArchive page]<br />
* {{cite web|title=Mumbai's oldest living cricketer Vasant Raiji reminisces about the city's cricket|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH4Ma_gSmfo|website=YouTube|publisher=CricketCountry|access-date=28 January 2015}}<br />
<br />
{{s-start}}<br />
{{s-bef |before=[[John Manners (cricketer)|John Manners]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl |title=[[First-class cricket|Oldest Living First-Class Cricketer]] |years=7 March 2020 – 13 June 2020}}<br />
{{s-aft |after=[[Alan Burgess (cricketer)|Alan Burgess]]}}<br />
{{s-end}}<br />
<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raiji, Vasant}}<br />
[[Category:1920 births]]<br />
[[Category:2020 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Cricket historians and writers]]<br />
[[Category:Baroda cricketers]]<br />
[[Category:Mumbai cricketers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian centenarians]]<br />
[[Category:Men centenarians]]</div>imported>Sammyrice