C. K. Nayudu

Colonel Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu (31 October 1895 – 14 November 1967) was an Indian cricketer and cricket administrator who served as the first captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is widely regarded as one of India's greatest cricketers. Nayudu's first-class cricket career spanned 47 years, from 1916 to 1963, a world record.|name=sixes Nayudu was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1933 and, in 1956, became the first cricketer to receive the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India.

Nayudu's prime days were with the Hindus team in the Bombay Quadrangular tournament in the 1920s and 1930s, where he was the highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament. His standout performance came in 1926–27 when he scored 153 runs in 116 minutes, hitting 14 fours and 11 sixes, then a world record, against the visiting Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which paved the way for India's elevation to Test status. Nayudu led India in their first-ever Test match in the 1932 England tour. He was the leading run-getter for India in the tour and also picked up 65 wickets as a bowler. He also led the Indian team in three more Tests when the England team visited India for their first official tour in 1933–34.

After retiring from Test cricket, Nayudu led the Holkar team to eight Ranji Trophy finals in nine years, winning four titles. His career-best score of 200 came at the age of 51, making him one of the few players to score a double century in first-class cricket after turning 50.

In 1923, the ruler of Holkar State invited Nayudu to stay in Indore and conferred upon him the rank of colonel in the state's army. Nayudu is generally considered as 'India's first cricket superstar'. people from Machilipatnam in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Nayudu's great-grandfather moved from Machilipatnam to Hyderabad, where he worked as an interpreter to the Nizam of Hyderabad. Nayudu's grandfather, Cottari Narayanaswamy Nayudu settled in Nagpur. Narayanaswamy studied law there and became a well-known lawyer in the city. He was also a landlord and an early member of the Indian National Congress.

Narayanaswamy was affluent enough to send both his sons to England for further studies. The younger son, Surya Prakash Rao Nayudu, C. K. Nayudu's father, studied law at Cambridge University, where he was a contemporary of Ranjitsinhji. Later, he came back to Nagpur and practiced there as a lawyer. After his return from England, he also brought the sport of cricket to the city. The Nayudus are considered as the pioneers of cricket in Nagpur. He was a Justice in High Court of Holkar State for some years. He had four sons and two daughters. He was drafted into the school team at the age of seven, and showed promise for a bright future.

Nayudu captained his school and college at cricket. He also excelled in hockey and football. While still in high school, he became the captain of Modi Cricket Club. In his early playing days, he received coaching from R. Rajanna. Playing for the Hindus against the Europeans, he came in to bat at No. 9 with his team tottering at 79 for 7. His first scoring shot was a six. But, he only managed 37 runs in the two innings – 27 in the first and 10 in the second. As a bowler, he picked up four wickets for 97 runs. His century came in just 65 minutes. The knock included 11 sixes which was a new world record in first-class cricket. Nayudu's innings paved way for India's elevation to Test status.

Indian cricket at the time was financially patronised by princes and various people of royal background were lobbying for the captaincy. By this time, Nayudu was already considered a legend in Indian cricket. Two weeks before the tour, Maharaja of Patiala withdrew, being busy with his state affairs, and the Maharaja of Porbander was appointed as the captain.thumb|The 1932 Indian national team which toured England. C. K. Nayudu can be seen seated in the middle row, second from left.|left

Maharaja of Porbander relinquished captaincy on the English tour and it was passed on to Prince of Limbdi, who was injured on the eve of the first Test. The captaincy was finally passed down to Nayudu. Cables were exchanged with officials in India and the Maharaja of Patiala ordered the players to accept Nayudu's captaincy. Thus, Nayudu became the first ever captain of the Indian national team in Test cricket. The Cricketer wrote of Nayudu's bowling as, "Nayudu is a clever bowler. Medium pace he flights the ball, can spin it from the off and sends down a faster delivery." He had a great run throughout the tour. He was the leading run-getter for India in the tour aggregating 1,618 runs, with five centuries, at an average of over 40. As a bowler, he took 65 wickets at an average of 25 runs per wicket and his best performance came when he took five wickets for 21 runs against Leicestershire. Nayudu scored 67, while Amarnath became the first Indian batsman to score a Test century with a knock of 118 runs. Nayudu was the captain of India in their first four Test matches, losing three and drawing one at Eden Gardens in 1934.

Nayudu was also a part of the Indian team that toured England in 1936. However, the captaincy had passed to Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram who got the role through lobbying and manipulation. Nayudu played his last Test match in the tour. In that match, despite a painful blow from Gubby Allen, he scored 81 runshis highest score in Test cricket. He scored 1,102 runs at an average of over 26, and captured 51 wickets at an average of 31.78 runs per wicket in the tour. Wisden noted about his performance as, "So brilliant a success on his previous visit to England, C. K. Nayudu disappointed both himself and his friends." But, Nayudu bowled well, and took the largest number of wickets next only to Nissar.

Later years

Nayudu led Holkar to eight Ranji Trophy finals in nine years, out of which they won four. In 1944–45 season, the cricket board celebrated his 50th birth anniversary by organising a match between the Cricket Club of India and CK Nayudu's XI. Gul Mohammad and Denis Compton played for Nayudu's team in the match. His final outing was in a charity match in 1963–64. Aged 68, he played for the Maharashtra Governor's XI against the Maharashtra Chief Minister's XI.

He played for various domestic teams in his career including Hindus, Madras, Hyderabad, Central India, Holkar, Andhra, Uttar Pradesh. He made over 12,000 runs in first class cricket. He holds the world record for the longest first-class career lasting over 47 years. His career-best innings was 200 in the Ranji Trophy, made at the age of 51. He made 2,567 runs with five centuries in the Ranji Trophy at an average of 36.67. He was also the highest run-scorer in the history of the Bombay Quadrangular tournament with 2,156 runs at an average of 45.87.

Cricket Administrator

Post-retirement, Nayudu served as the chairman of the national selection committee, vice-president of the BCCI, and as a radio commentator.

He was instrumental in the formation of Andhra Cricket Association and was its founder president. Aged 58, C. K. Nayudu led the Andhra team in its first Ranji Trophy match against Mysore in the 1953–54 season.

Style and technique

A road was named after him in his ancestral hometown Machilipatnam by the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kasu Brahmananda Reddy. On 4 April 2005, a bronze statue of Nayudu titled 'The Colossus of Cricket' was unveiled near the entrance of the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Cricket historian Ramachandra Guha called Nayudu 'the first great Indian cricketer'. In 2001, Guha included him in his All-Star Eleven team of great Indian cricketers with a countrywide popularity whose stardom persisted beyond retirement. Nayudu was also chosen as the captain of the team.

Various other commentators have remarked on him as 'India's first cricket superstar', Commentator Ravi Chaturvedi wrote of him, "It was his lyrical style that made him one of the greatest players that the country has ever produced. He gave the game the grace of a ballet that was applauded by its spectators, who otherwise used to witness it as a combat." Vasant Raiji called Nayudu 'the Shahenshah of Indian Cricket' ().

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Later years

Cricket Administrator

Style and technique

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