Bhausaheb Babasaheb Nimbalkar (12 December 1919 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian first-class cricketer who is remembered for his innings of 443 not out in the 1948–49 Ranji Trophy match between Maharashtra and Kathiawar. At the time, it was the second-highest score in the history of first-class cricket. It remains the Indian record and is also the highest score by a batsman who never played in Test cricket. Nimbalkar was a right-handed batsman whose career spanned the seasons from 1939/40 to 1963/64. He played for six first-class teams: Baroda, Maharashtra, Holkar, Madhya Bharat, Rajasthan, and Railways. He was an occasional wicket-keeper and a right-arm fast-medium bowler.
 B. B. Nimbalkar signing autographs in 1946 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bhausaheb Babasaheb Nimbalkar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 December 1919 Kolhapur, Bombay Presidency, British India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 11 December 2012 (aged 92) Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman Occasional wicket-keeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | R. B. Nimbalkar (brother), S. B. Nimbalkar (son) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1939/40 | Baroda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1941/42–1950/51 | Maharashtra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1942/43–1957/58 | Holkar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1955/56 | Madhya Bharat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956/57–1957/58 | Rajasthan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1958/59–1963/64 | Railways | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive (subscription required), 11 December 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life
editNimbalkar was born in Kolhapur.[1] He had his early education at the Model School in Kolhapur, and captained the school team at the age of 15.[citation needed]
Career
editDebut
editNimbalkar joined Baroda and, aged 19, made his first-class and Ranji Trophy debut on 18–20 November 1939 against Gujarat at Baroda's Police Gymkhana Ground.[a] Baroda won the match by 52 runs. They scored 127 and 166; Gujarat replied with 100 and 141. Batting in the lower middle order, Nimbalkar scored 6 and 27. He opened the bowling with Edulji Gai and took 3/16 and 1/36.[3] His older brother, wicket-keeper Raosaheb Nimbalkar, was also playing that match and the two often appeared alongside each other.[4]
Record score in India
editNimbalkar moved to Maharashtra and played for them until 1950/51. During the 1948–49 Ranji Trophy, in the match against Kathiawar on the Poona Club Ground, Nimbalkar scored 443 not out.[5] At the time, Nimbalkar's innings was second only to Don Bradman's 452 not out (in 1929/30) as the world record for the highest individual innings in first-class cricket. Currently, the innings is the fourth-highest of all time, having been surpassed by those of Pakistani batting great Hanif Mohammad (499 in 1958/59) and the greatest West Indian Brian Lara (501* in 1994).
He was unable to break the record because, with the total standing at 826 for 4 at the lunch interval, the opposing captain, the Thakore Saheb of Rajkot, conceded the match to prevent embarrassment on the part of his team. Bradman sent a personal note to Nimbalkar saying that he considered Nimbalkar's innings better than his own.[6][7][8][9]
Summary
editDespite an impressive batting average of 56.72 in Ranji Trophy matches, and his additional abilities as a wicket-keeper and a fast-medium bowler, Nimbalkar never played Test cricket during a first-class career that stretched from 1939–40 to 1963–64.[1] He was named the Indian Cricketer of the Year in 1952/53.[1]
Later years and death
editBetween 1976/77 and 1982/83, Nimbalkar's son, Suryaji Nimbalkar, played in twelve first-class matches for Railways and Maharashtra.[10] Nimbalkar received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002,[1] the highest honour bestowed on a former player by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.[11] He died in Kolhapur on 11 December 2012, the day before his 93rd birthday.[1][12]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Bhausaheb Nimbalkar. CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 December 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ First-class matches played on the Police Gymkhana Ground, Baroda. CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 December 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ Baroda v Gujarat, Ranji Trophy 1939/40 (West Zone). CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 December 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ Raosaheb Nimbalkar. CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 December 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ Maharashtra v Kathiawar, Ranji Trophy 1948/49 (1st Round). CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 December 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ "First Indian who came close to Bradman, BB Nimbalkar passes away". Daily News and Analysis. 11 December 2012.
- ^ Frindall, Bill (2009). Ask Bearders. BBC Books. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-84607-880-4.
- ^ "Babasaheb Nimbalkar passes away". Wisden India. 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 6 February 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ "How many IPL teams have won and lost a match by ten wickets in the same season?". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ Suryaji Nimbalkar. Cricket Archive. Retrieved 19 December 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ "C. K. Nayudu award for Kapil Dev". The Hindu. 18 December 2013.
- ^ "Former Ranji cricketer Nimbalkar dead". The Hindu. 12 December 2012.