Foreigners in Ranji-land
In its 90-year history, only a handful of overseas players have featured in the Ranji Trophy.
Jack Hobbs, the legendary English batsman, had retired from Test cricket in 1930. Nicknamed ‘The Master’, Hobbs alongside Herbert Sutcliffe, joined a private team of Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram (aka Vizzy) which toured India and Ceylon in the winter of 1930–31.
The duo were part of the exhibition tour that featured Indian cricketers like CK Nayudu and Syed Mushtaq Ali. Cricket was a popular sport in the Indian subcontinent. There were local tournaments like the Bombay Quadrangular, while the royal patrons like the Nawab of Hyderabad hosted the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament. Other royal patrons like Vizzy conducted tours that attracted big names from England and Australia.
India did not possess a nationwide tournament until the formation of the Ranji Trophy in 1934. We are familiar with the biggest names in world cricket featuring in the Indian Premier League. However, when it comes to the premier domestic tournament of India, the Ranji Trophy, there has been a handful of foreign/overseas players who have featured in the coveted tournament. Here is the list of players who featured in the Ranji Trophy.
Conrad Powell Johnstone ( Madras)
An amateur sportsperson, who played first-class cricket between 1919–1948. He served in the First World War and played for Madras in the Ranji Trophy between 1934/35–1944/45 where he led the team. Johnstone is often credited for the development of cricket in Madras.
George Abell ( Northern India)
In 1928, after joining the Indian Civil Services he played most of his FC cricket in India. Abell also represented the Europeans in the Bombay tournaments, one match for Indians against Ceylon in 1932, and the Punjab Governor’s XI. In England, he played for Worcestershire and Oxford University. Abell scored 210 against Army cricket team in 1934–35, making him the first person to score a double century in the Ranji Trophy.
Jack Meyer (Western India)
Rollo John Oliver Meyer was working as a cotton broker in India when he turned up for the Europeans in the final of the Bombay Quadrangular Tournament in 1926. Since then he appeared in multiple seasons for the Europeans before captaining the Western India team in the 1934/35 edition of the Ranji Trophy.
The all-round sportsman also played for Somerset but is best known for founding the Millfield School and Millfield Preparatory School in Somerset.
Paul van der Gucht (Bengal)
The wicketkeeper played for Gloucestershire between 1932 and 1933 before moving his long career in India. Van der Gucht played for the Europeans in the Bombay Quadrangular from 1935 to 1936 before representing Bengal in the Ranji Trophy for 10 years between 1937 to 1947.
Maurice Robinson ( Hyderabad & Madras)
Maurice Robinson made his first-class debut in 1942/43, playing domestic cricket in India whilst serving with the R.A.F.
The allrounder played one match for Hyderabad in 43/44 before switching allegiances to Madras the following season where he played three matches.
After the Second World War, he was stationed at St.Athan and debuted for Glamorgan in 1946. The Irish-born all-rounder won his county cap in his debut season, and in 1949 he scored a career-best 190 against Hampshire at Bournemouth whilst sharing what still stands as a club-record fifth-wicket partnership of 264 with Stan Montgomery.
Dennis Compton ( Holkar)
One of the most prolific cricketers that England has produced played in the Ranji Trophy for Holkar. Compton served in the British Army during the Second World War and was posted in India at Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. C.K Nayudu invited Compton to play for Holkar. He featured in the semifinals and the finals on the 1944/45 edition.
In the finals against Bombay he scored 249 and was promised Rs 50 for every run he scored. Of course, the payment has been pending for a long time.
Reg Simpson (Sind)
The dashing opening batsman for England was on duty as an RAF pilot in India in 1944. In between his flying duties, he played a handful of First-Class matches. He played two matches for Sind province in the Ranji Trophy in 44/45 and 45/46.
Simpson returned to England at the end of the war and made his debut for England in 1948.
Peter Judge entered cricket’s record books in 1946 when he was dismissed in two consecutive balls within the space of a minute during Glamorgan’s drawn match with the Indians in 1946 at Cardiff Arms Park. His unique place in cricketing history followed his dismissal off the last ball of Glamorgans first innings and then when captain Johnnie Clay decided to inject some life into the match by reversing the batting order, Judge was bowled by the first ball in the second innings.
The fast bowler played county cricket at Middlesex and Glamorgan in a career that expanded over 14 years. During the Second World War, he served with the R.A.F. and it was during his posting in India that saw Judge appear in a match for Bengal against Holkar in 1945. He also played for the Europeans in the Bombay tournaments.
Roy Gilchrist (Hyderabad), Charlie Stayers (Bombay), Lester King (Bengal) and Chester Watson (Delhi)
Following India’s 5–0 loss to West Indies in the 1961–62 series in the Caribbean, BCCI contracted four West Indian fast bowlers to play in the Ranji Trophy.
The quartet represented four different teams of which three sides made it to the semis. Hyderabad was the team that missed out, although Gilchrist claimed 9 wickets in the quarterfinals, Bengal featuring Lester King, relied on Pankaj Roy’s twin centuries to help Bengal proceed.
Charlie Stayers lifted the trophy as Bombay beat Rajasthan by an innings and 19 runs. The West Indian picked up nine wickets, including a 6/36 in the first innings. Strayers, who had made his debut for the West Indians in the 61/62 series, did not play for international cricket again.
One of Pakistan’s finest batters was born… in Hyderabad, India. Asif Iqbal came a long way from an opening bowler who batted at №10 to becoming a stylish batter known for his footwork and cover-driving. He went on to represent Pakistan in 58 test matches.
The nephew of former India captain, Ghulam Ahmed, Asif played four Ranji matches for Hyderabad between 1959 and 1961 as a 17 year old before his family emigrated to Pakistan in 1961.
Fittingly, he played his last test match at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, where he was given a standing ovation.
Nayan Doshi (Saurashtra)
Born and raised in England, Nayan Doshi is the son of former Indian cricketer, Dilip Doshi. He made his first class debut with Saurashtra in the 2001/02 Ranji season. He played 22 matches, his last featured for Saurashtra in the 2013/14 season.
He also played county cricket for Surrey and Derbyshire. Doshi featured in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Rajasthan Royals in 2010 and 2011. He made headlines when his name popped up in the 2020 IPL auction at the age of 42.
Vikram Solanki & Kabir Ali (Rajasthan)
The former English cricketers had represented Rajasthan in the 2006/07 edition of the Ranji Trophy. Back then, BCCI had allowed the state teams to field three professionals outside the state in the XI.
Solanki was born in Udaipur, Rajasthan and he represented his native state in the Ranji Trophy for five matches. He was joined by Kabir Ali — the cousin of Moeen Ali. A’One Test Wonder’, Ali featured in two matches for Rajasthan.
Enamul Haque Jr (Maharashtra)
In 2005, the left arm spinner from Bangladesh became the youngest bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test match. After being in and out of the international squad, Haque featured for Maharashtra in 2008/09 Ranji season. He played four matches before he was recalled for a tour to New Zealand. He played his last Test match against Zimbabwe in 2013.
Born in Mumbai, Mishra moved to Kenya at a young age and represented Kenya in international cricket. The batsman featured in the 2007 and 2011 editions of the ODI World Cup, where he scored two half-centuries in the latter.
Mishra was registered as an Indian and played for Deccan Chargers and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2012 and 2014 IPL seasons. Mishra bowed out of first class cricket in the 2019/20 season of the Ranji Trophy when he represented Tripura.
Anshuman Rath (Odisha)
Born in Bhubaneswar, Rath debuted for Hong Kong in 2014. Having featured in ODIs and T20s, Rath captained the Hong Kong national cricket team in September 2018.
He retired from Hong Kong national team to pursue a career in India . Having represented Odisha two Ranji matches across two seasons (2021/22 and 22/23), he chose to play T20 internationals for Hong Kong from March 2023 onwards.
Originally published at http://yuvrajgurung.com on October 19, 2024.