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Hall of Fame: CK Nayudu
CK Nayudu

Before there was Tendulkar, or Kapil Dev, or Gavaskar, there was a great Indian cricketer who was an icon recognized instantly by his famous initials "C.K."

Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu caused such passion among cricketer watchers in those pre-TV days that once news spread that he was at the wicket, office staff suspended work and college students bunked classes and made a bee-line for the Bombay Gmykhana, where he most often played to throngs in their tens of thousands who were eager to watch a genius at the crease.

And more often than not they were handsomely rewarded, because C.K. was above all else entertaining to watch. Over six feet tall, of atheletic build and blessed with supple wrist and a keen eye, Nayudu was born to play cricket. He had every stroke in the book and unlike contemporaries was not afraid to lift the ball.

In fact you could say that C.K. was an ideal one-day cricketer, in a time when the concept wasn't even considered. As a batsman C.K. was aggressive and hit effortless sixes and drives with, and against, the break. In fact C.K. holds the record for the most sixes in an English summer by a visiting batsman. He hit 32 sixes in 1932, on his first tour of England.

In the field Nayudu was supremely fit, an excellent catcher who enjoyed fielding and had natural quickness and the ability to sprint.

With the ball C.K. had the ability to bowl handy medium pace, mixing in off cutters, leg breaks, and away swingers, i.e ideal dibbly dobbly one-day stuff, which earned him over 400 wickets in his first class career.

One measure of the man's fitness was the fact that he played first class cricket till the ripe old age of 68!!! His career spanned an INCREDIBLE 48 years. He was a star when Vinoo Mankad and Nawab of Pataudi Sr. were yet to play first class cricket and ended up playing his last match against a team that had their sons Ashok Mankad and Nawab of Pataudi Jr. in it. He was truly as AGELESS as a human could be.

C.K. was India's first Test Captain, and though India gained Test Match status late in his career, when he was already 37 years old, he was picked to lead the side. He lead India superbly, and had England reeling at 19 for 3 on the first morning at Lords. Eventually losing the game to a full strength English side, he impressed everyone with his command of the game.

The best way to pay tribute to the Father of Indian Cricket, which C.K. most certainly is because neither Ranji, or Duleep, played for India (though Duleep, certainly could have, as his career coincided with India's accession to Test level) is to let his contemporaries speak about him.

Here are a few quotes:

Lala Amarnath: "C.K. was in a class by himself and could be rated easily as the greatest cricketer India has produced. He taught every young cricketer that the bat was there to hit the ball and he practised what he preached."

Mushtaq Ali: "The greatest cricketer I have seen, known and played with was undoubtedly C.K. Nayudu. He was not merely the Lord or the King, but the Shahenshah. The present generation of cricketers cannot imagine the type of cricket he played. He played cricket not on billiard table wickets, but on wickets which were fiery and also on matting. Against pace bowlers he was hit many times. I saw him badly hurt, but never asking for aid. With such gallant performances, he proved true to his stock of the Andhras, a race of brave and resolute people. The best thing about him was his personality, his majestic movements on the field, his astute judgement on every point of the game and his concern about the team in preference to self - qualities which made him an ideal captain. A well disciplined man (he was a Colonel in the Army) C.K. enforced discipline among the ranks. While he was intolerant of inefficiency, he was quick to discover talent and foster it. All in all he carried an epic grace for his game and self, seldom to be seen in the modern era."

J.B. Hobbs: "You have only to see him pick up a ball to know he is a born cricketer."

D.R. Jardine: "Nayudu at the wicket is comparable to a right-handed Woolley. Both remain masters of execution of every shot that the game knows."

C.G. Macartney: "Nayudu is a batsman of top class. His batting is skillfull and aggressive. He has studied the art thoroughly, and endeavoured to put his theory into parctice with conspicuous success. His bowling too, is more than useful, and provides and economical and frequently effective change in an attack because he uses his head. His fielding in any position is brilliant; his agility and certainty, both on the ground and in the air, being surprising."

Finally in the words of the man himself. When asked by a journalist how to deal with bouncers, his answer was characteristic "hit it out of the ground" When he was felled by a stroke (C.K. was a smoker and this was probably his one health vice) and was rendered unconsious, the first words on opening his eyes when he regained consciousness were "I am still not out."

Gaurang
© Indian Cricket Fever

Cricinfo database on CK Nayudu

Indian Cricket Fever Hall of Fame

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