Nari Contractor

Nariman Jamshedji "Nari" Contractor (; born 7 March 1934) is a former Indian cricketer, who was a left-handed opening batsman. Contractor made his debut in 1955. A serious injury cut short his Test career in 1962, but he played first class cricket until 1971. He was the youngest Indian captain at the age of 26. In 2007, he received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour Indian board can bestow on a former player.

Later he was chosen to play for India. Nari became an opener after one of the players Vinoo Mankad couldn't take part in a Test match against New Zealand at Delhi in 1955. when facing Charlie Griffith for the fourth ball of the second over, he saw somebody open a window in the pavilion and consequently was unable to concentrate on the ball following its delivery by Griffith, seeing the ball "just inches away before it hit" him. Contractor took a blow at the back of his skull, fracturing it. A blood clot had developed inside his skull and pressing against the brain, paralyzing him from the waist down. Two surgeries were performed to remove the clot, which required blood transfusion. West Indies captain Frank Worrell donated blood alongside Contractor's teammates Chandu Borde, Bapu Nadkarni and Polly Umrigar. Contractor's life was saved but his international career was abruptly ended as a result. Mansoor Ali Khan of Pataudi took over the captaincy from the third test. In an interview, Contractor mentioned as his only regret that he wanted to play just one Test after the injury, but people did not want him to. but never played a Test after his injury in 1962.

During his playing days, Contractor was considered a glamour boy of Indian cricket. In an interview with Simi Garewal in 1999, former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa stated that as a schoolgirl she had a crush on Contractor.

Nari Contractor

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