In the eyes of most Indians, Duleepsinhji's standing as a cricketer has often been overshadowed by his uncle, Ranjitsinhji's remarkable talent. But while that may have had its disadvantages, it certainly had its advantages too. The genes played an important part and, in many ways, Duleep, as he was popularly known as, often matched Ranji stroke for stroke.

Born June 13, 1905, in the Sarodar household, Duleep, like his uncle, played for Cambridge before moving on to join Sussex. Trained in the game of cricket by the prince of coaches, G A Faulkner, Duleep had quick footwork and was an exceptional player of spin bowling. A. H. H. Gilligan rated him the best player of slow bowling on a wet pitch. Like all great players he had the ability to see the ball early and had an astonishing variety of strokes in addition to a sound defense. A right-handed batsman, he liked to take on the bowlers on their turf. There was a certain ease and maturity about the way he played, and that in itself placed him above ordinary players and made him stand out as a player of quality.

Duleep was excellent in the slips and had 243 catches to his credit in eight first class seasons. But, in many ways, his true potential will never be known as his career was cut short by illness.

His time with Sussex, whom he captained in 1932, began in 1926. He headed the county averages in every season until 1932, when doctors advised him not to take further part in cricket. In 1930, he hit 333 in 330 minutes (a single day) against Northamptonshire, at Hove, which still stands as the highest individual innings played for Sussex.

In 1930, he finally made his debut for England, at Lord's, and, like his uncle (Ranji), rescued his side with a brilliant century. His 173 was one of the most graceful innings seen that season and the true artistry of the man stood out all along.

An incident attached to the game runs thusly: When he finally got out off a big hit, Ranji muttered, "This boy was always careless!"

For his brilliance during the 1930 season, he was named among Wisden's five Cricketer's of the Year.

"There was no better man to play with. He was never out for personal glorification; his great concern being for the success of the team. He was a real joy to watch and was, above all, a first-class man." said England great Herbert Sutcliffe.

After retiring, he became High Commissioner for India in Australia and New Zealand, in 1950. Upon returning to India in 1953, he was appointed chairman of the Public Service Commission in the state of Saurashtra.

In sum, it could be said that Duleep was often torn between his uncle, Ranji, who forbade him from playing for India, and the Indian board, who wanted him to play for India; nay, captain India. The struggle left him a bitter man and he was particularly hard on the Indians, whom he thought wanted to ruin his career or force him to retire.

Duleep will always be remembered as an outstanding personality. Sir John Berry 'Jack' Hobbs best summed him up: "He was extremely popular and did not have an enemy on the field. He was a brilliant player."

He passed away on December 5, 1959, aged 54.

Career Stats:
Tests Batting:

M	Inn	NO	Runs	Ave	HS	100	50	Ct	St
12	19	2	995	58.53	173	3	5	13	0

Images: Getty Images

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