C. K. Nayudu

C.K. Nayudu

Personal information
Batting style	Right-hand bat (RHB)
Bowling style	Right-arm slow medium
International information
National side	Indian
Career statistics
Competition	Tests	First-class
Matches	7	207
Runs scored	350	11,825
Batting average	25.00	35.94
100s/50s	0/2	26/58
Top score	81	200
Balls bowled	858	25,798
Wickets	9	411
Bowling average	42.88	29.28
5 wickets in innings	-	12
10 wickets in match	-	2
Best bowling	3/40	7/44
Catches/stumpings	4	170/1
Source: [1],

Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu (Telugu: కట్టారి కనకయ్య నాయుడు) pronunciation (help·info) (31 October 1895 – 14 November 1967), also known as CK, was an Indian cricketer who served as India's first Test captain. He was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra and died in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. He played first-class cricket regularly till 1958, and returned for one last time in 1963 at the age of 68. In 1923, the ruler of Holkar invited him to Indore and made him a Captain (land and air) in his army. Thus he received an honour of a Colonel in Holkar's Army.

Arthur Gilligan led the first MCC tour to India in the 1926-27 season. For the Hindus at Bombay Gymkhana, Nayudu hit 153 in 116 minutes with 11 sixes. One of the sixes, off Bob Wyatt, landed on the roof of the Gymkhana. The MCC presented him with a silver bat in recognition of that heroic innings.

1932

India made its debut at Lord's under Col C K Nayudu . In its first Test tour of England with the Maharaja of Porbandar as captain and Ghanshyamsinhji of Limbdi as vice-captain. Two weeks before the trip, Porbandar dropped out on reasons of health and Limbdi took over. It was just before the start of India's inaugural Test, Nayudu was appointed captain of the Indian team as Limbdi suffered a back injury that ruled him out of the Test.

Nayudu took part in all twenty six of the first-class matches on the tour, scoring 1,618 runs at an average of 40.45 in the first-class matches and 1,842 overall, and taking 65 wickets. Wisden chose him as a Cricketer of the Year the next year. Nayudu hit 32 sixes, which was the most by anyone in the season. CK's best stint was playing at Edgbaston, he hit a ball into the River Rhea and thus into the next county.

Tall and debonair, often with a kerchief knotted jauntily round his neck, CK was popularly known for his apparel style on field. CK's close companion Syed Mushtaq Ali known for his fearless and dashing cricket played with CK in several matches together. Mushtaq Ali fondly called CK- a tiger on the field.

In the 1933-34 season, Douglas Jardine visited India with a formidable, though not full strength, MCC team. For Punjab Governor's XI, Nayudu scored a hundred. He was retained as the captain of the Test series. The first ever Test in India, held at the Bombay Gymkhana between December 15 and 18, was watched by over 100,000 spectators. India lost the series by two Tests to nil.

Six decades in cricket

He is one of the few cricketers to have played the first class game Nayudu was known as being a outstanding solid batsman, and for his ability as a hard hitter of the ball. He was the first cricketer to be honoured with the Padma Bhushan.

Early career

Nayudu originally spoke Telugu, but he grew up in Nagpur and played almost all his cricket for Central India. He was drafted in the school team at the age of seven, and showed promise for a bright future.

He made his first class debut in 1916 in the Bombay Triangular. For the Hindus against the Europeans, he came in to bat at No.9 with his team tottering at 79 for 7. He blocked his fin six different decades. He made his last appearance in the Ranji Trophy in 1956-57, aged 62, scoring 52 in his last innings for Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in the season he had made 84 against Rajasthan, striking Vinoo Mankad for two sixes. His final outing was in a charity match in 1963-64, when he played for the Maharashtra Governor's XI against the Maharashtra Chief Minister's XI.^[1]

One of Nayudu's daughter, Chandra, wrote a book on her father, C. K. Nayudu: A Daughter Remembers.

Padma Bhushan CK Nayudu is today known as the 'Father of the Indian Cricket'. CK Nayudu Awards are highest reverence awards for captaincy and life time achievement categories in the Indian Cricket.

References

1. ^ Williamson, Martin. "Ripe old age". ESPN. http://www.espncricinfo.com/columns/content/story/304620.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 

Further reading

• Mihir Bose, A History of Indian Cricket, 1990 edition
• Captains galore

External links

• Player profile: C. K. Nayudu from ESPNcricinfo
• Cricketarchive Profile

Preceded by Inaugural

Indian National Test Cricket Captain 1932-1933/4

Succeeded by Maharajkumar of Vizianagram

Persondata
Name	Nayudu, C. K.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	31 October 1895
Place of birth
Date of death	14 November 1967
Place of death