Do you know what Vijay Hazare, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Hardik Pandya, and Kunal Pandya have in common? The answer is Baroda. Over the years Baroda has given the country many of its great cricketers. Be it Vijay Hazare or the Pathan Brothers or the most recent Pandya Brothers, they all have one thing in common, they all come from Baroda.
The Foundations :
It all started when Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, hired Mr. Machiwala, a Parsi coach, for training his sons in cricket in 1904. One of his sons, Shivajirao came to be a First Class Player of the sport. After this, in 1934, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, laid the foundation of Cricket in Baroda State’s Motibaug Ground, which got its affiliation to the Cricket Board of India in 1937. Since then Baroda has emerged as Ranji Trophy Champions in the year 1942-43,1946-47,1949-50,1957-58 & 2000-01.
Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad who was also a skilled cricket player himself, inspired youth in Baroda to get exposure in International/National levels. Cricket was even made compulsory in school & colleges, another institute called the Gujarat Krida Mandal was established near Kirti Stambh.
The way forward :
On 16 April 1934, the Baroda Cricket Association was established, which was known as The Central Board of Cricket back then. Its founder President was Col. Kumar Shivraj Singh and the founder Secretary was Prof. S. V. Shevade. In 1937 it assumed the name of Baroda State Cricket Association. In 1938, it came to be known as Baroda Cricket Association, a name that is still in force. It continued to function under the patronage of the Gaekwads even after the state merged with the Indian union.
In 1949, the mantle of leadership fell on the shoulders of Maharaja Fatehsinhrao, eldest son of Maharaja Pratapsingh Rao Gaekwad who not only guided the destiny of cricket at the state level but also at the National level. A Ranji Trophy player himself, he also played for the international team. He was also a sports reporter and an expert commentator for international cricket all over the world. He was the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India from 1963-64 to 1965-66 and became the youngest person to represent his country at the ICC. This period brought up an abundance in the local talent of international standing, viz. cricketers like H R Adhikari, R B Nimbalkar, D K Gaekwad, J M Ghorpade, Anshuman Gaekwad, Rashid Patel, and Kiran More. Many others like Nayan Mongia, Atul Bedade, Jacob Martin and Irfan Pathan followed the suit.
Even the daughters of the State were encouraged to play cricket. Following the footsteps of her father and brother, Dr. Mrunalini Devi Puar, the eldest daughter of Maharaja Pratapsinh Rao, also became an enthusiast of the game. She was named the President of Gujarat Women’s and Vice-President of the All India Women’s Cricket Association as well as the head of the Women’s Wing of Baroda Cricket Association.
The current Vice President of the BCA also comes from the royal family. Once a player for the Baroda team, Maharaja Pratapsingh Rao’s grandson Samarjitsinh Ranjitsinh Gaekwad, now acts at the Vice President for the BCA. Even today, the Motibaug Cricket ground remains open for the cricketing fraternity. The BCA office is housed within the precincts of the Lukshmi Vilas Palace, the home of the royal family.
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Apart from the ones mentioned above, many great cricketers like G Kishanchand, J M Ghorpade, D K Gaekwad, Chadu Borde, Kiran More, Anshuman Gaekwad, Nayan Mongia, Zaheer Khan have come up from Baroda and made the country proud.
The seed that was sown and nurtured by the Gaekwads all those years ago still continues to grow and flower as the present royal family manifests an unfailing commitment to the sport that runs so deeply in their ethos.
Sources: BCA & Baroda Cricket
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