Every generation in Indian cricket has its icons. Sunil Gavaskar gave us courage, Kapil Dev gave us belief, Sachin Tendulkar gave us dreams, and Virat Kohli has given us fire. But long before them all, there was Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, the Prince of Nawanagar, the man who proved that Indians could not only play the game of the Empire, but redefine it forever. Today, September 10, we celebrate the legend’s birthday.
Born in 1872 in Gujarat, Ranji stepped onto English soil as a student at Cambridge. He left as a phenomenon. With supple wrists and regal calm, he unveiled the leg glance, a stroke so audacious and silky that it stunned bowlers and seduced crowds. At Old Trafford in 1896, he announced himself with a breathtaking 154 not out on Test debut against Australia. At a time when a Test average of 30 was considered world-class, Ranji averaged nearly 45, scored almost 25,000 first-class runs, and made 72 centuries. But it wasn’t just the runs. It was how he scored them, with elegance, invention, and charm. He made batting look like art.
For a colonised India, Ranji was more than a cricketer. He was a symbol of possibility. At the height of the British Empire, here was an Indian prince conquering the English game in their own backyard. He wore the crown not just of Nawanagar, but of cricketing imagination, showing millions that Indians could be world-beaters.
In 1934, Indian cricket was given a treasure that still glitters: the Ranji Trophy. Year after year, season after season, it has been the testing ground where India’s best are forged. Gavaskar, Dravid, Tendulkar, Kohli – all are children of the Ranji Trophy. Without it, Indian cricket would not have the depth, the talent, or the dominance it enjoys today.
To a generation raised on IPL sixes, DRS drama, and Insta reels, Ranji may feel like a faded photograph. But look closely and his shadow is everywhere – Suryakumar Yadav’s 360-degree audacity, Rishabh Pant’s fearless flicks and Shubman Gill’s silken drives all echo Ranji’s artistry. The Ranji Trophy remains the heartbeat of Indian cricket, the furnace where young hopefuls are hardened into stars. Ranji showed the world in 1896 that an Indian could be the best. That belief is still the soul of Indian cricket’s dominance today.
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Ranjitsinhji is not just a name on a trophy. He is the foundation stone of Indian cricket, the father of its flair, and the first to tell the world: India belongs at the top. When an Indian cricketer today glances the ball fine, when a teenager dreams of lifting the Ranji Trophy, when a billion fans roar with pride – they are all honouring the prince who turned cricket into poetry. More than a century later, Ranji is not just remembered. He still inspires, still teaches, still matters. Because legends never fade. They only grow louder with time.
And here, I decided to take a bit of liberty and think about what some of our famous cricket voices would have said about him had they seen him play. Australian great Richie Benaud would probably have said “Lovely shot. Just the little glance. And you’d say… that’ll do nicely. A reminder that cricket is not all about brute force. Sometimes, it’s about grace. And Ranji had that in spades.”
And David “Bumble” Lloyd would say this: “Ey up! He weren’t just a cricketer, he were a magician. That leg glance? Bowlers had no idea what hit ‘em. And then he leaves a whole tournament behind ..‘Here you go lads, enjoy!’ Proper game-changer, proper generous. Without Ranji, Indian cricket might’ve been playin’ in black and white. He brought the colour!”
What would our own passionate cricket hsitorian, Boria Majumdar, say? “This wasn’t just batting; it was a cultural statement. At the height of the British Empire, here was an Indian prince walking into Old Trafford and redefining the game. He was the first Indian sporting global icon showing that cricket was not an English preserve. And his legacy still lives on in the Ranji Trophy, the nursery of Indian cricket. Without Ranji, there is no Gavaskar, no Tendulkar, no Kohli.”
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