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Polly Umrigar      

Full name Pahlan Ratanji Umrigar

Born March 28, 1926, Sholapur, Maharashtra

Died November 7, 2006, Mumbai (aged 80 years 224 days)

Major teams India, Gujarat, Mumbai, Parsees

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Pahlan Ratanji Umrigar
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 6s Ct St
Tests 59 94 8 3631 223 42.22 12 14 4 33 0
First-class 243 350 41 16155 252* 52.28 49 80 217 0
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 59 50 4725 1473 35 6/74 6/74 42.08 1.87 135.0 3 2 0
First-class 243 25297 8348 325 7/32 25.68 1.97 77.8 14 2
Career statistics
Test debut India v West Indies at Mumbai (BS), Dec 9-13, 1948 scorecard
Last Test West Indies v India at Kingston, Apr 13-18, 1962 scorecard
Test statistics
First-class span 1944/45 - 1962/63
Profile

One of the all time greats of Indian cricket, Polly Umrigar was a heroic figure from the late forties to the early sixties, almost always shining in a losing cause. Despite this, when he retired, he held the most important records - most Tests, most runs, most hundreds. In fact his records stood from 1962 to 1978 when they were broken by a certain Sunil Gavaskar. A burly six footer, Umrigar was a commanding figure at the crease - whether batting, bowling, directing operations as captain or standing in his usual position at first slip. Umrigar excelled in full blooded drives but he could also hook and pull powerfully. As a bowler, he was an accurate offspinner and could even open the bowling, sending down outswingers. He was a brilliant versatile fielder.

Either as batsman, bowler or captain, he helped shape the few Indian triumphs of his time. For 30 years he held the record of getting the highest score by an Indian on tour - 252 not out against Cambridge University in 1959. As a bowler, his finest hour was when he took 4 for 27 while helping India to defeat mighty Australia at Kanpur in 1959. A shrewd captain, he led India in eight Tests, winning two and losing two before he resigned the captaincy at Madras against West Indies in 1959 following a misunderstanding with the selectors. He is only one of two Indian cricketers (Vinoo Mankad being the other) to score a century and take five wickets in an innings - a feat he achieved against West Indies at Port of Spain in 1962. Umrigar was the first Indian to hit a Test double century. After retirement, he continued to serve Indian cricket as chairman of the selection committee, tour manager and BCCI executive secretary. Umrigar died in November 2006, at the age of 80, after losing a prolonged battle with lymph cancer
Partab Ramchand

Latest Articles
Latest Photos

Aug 29, 2000

Polly Umrigar, Mumbai, Portrait

Polly Umrigar, Portrait

© Cricinfo Ltd

1980

Polly Umrigar, Mumbai, Portrait

Polly Umrigar: Portrait

© Mumbai Cricket Association - CricInfo

Apr 1962

Polly Umrigar opening the batting with the Nawab of Pataudi, West Indies, 1962

Polly Umrigar opening the batting with the Nawab of Pataudi

© Cricinfo Ltd

Country Fixtures Country Results
Group B: Bengal v Saurashtra at Kolkata - Nov 24-27
Saurashtra 570/7
Group A: H. Pradesh v Tamil Nadu at Dharamsala - Nov 24-27
Tamil Nadu 293/8d H. Pradesh 126/2
Group A: Hyderabad v Orissa at Hyderabad (Decc) - Nov 24-27
Orissa 276 Hyderabad 63/4
2nd Test: India v Sri Lanka at Kanpur - Nov 24-28
India 642 Sri Lanka 66/1
Group B: Maharashtra v Karnataka at Poona - Nov 24-27
Maharashtra 105 Karnataka 342/3
Group A: Punjab v Gujarat at Mohali - Nov 24-27
Gujarat 160 Punjab 289/4
Group A: Railways v Mumbai at Delhi - Nov 24-27
Railways 187 Mumbai 198/7
Group B: U. Pradesh v Delhi at Lucknow - Nov 24-27
U. Pradesh 404/4
Complete fixtures »
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