The forgotten legend of the Holkars

During an incredible period in the 1940s and 50s, the team from Indore reached 10 finals in 11 seasons.

The dominant show by Madhya Pradesh on the third day’s morning of the Ranji final against Mumbai would have surprised many. After all, the contest, on paper, is a mismatch. Mumbai are playing their 47th final while it’s MP’s second. However, a lot of people from the current generation may not be aware that an Indore-based team was the most dominant side in Ranji Trophy at one point and such displays were par for the course when the Holkar side representing the ruler of Indore, Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar II, was playing.

The 1947-48 Ranji Trophy winning squad led by CK Nayudu (sitting 3rd from left) and Mushtaq Ali (sitting 2nd from left) with the Holkars Yashwant Rao and Fay.(HT)

Between 1944-45 to 1954-55, Holkar won the Ranji Trophy on four occasions and were runners-up six times. But it was not just about winning. Cricket almost never is. Rather, it was the exhilarating brand of cricket they played that won them admirers and made them legends.

The Indian Premier League wasn’t even a dream then, but cricket in those days had an IPL kind of set-up with competition among the various Royal families to assemble strong sides, their interest fanned by the Britishers’ love for the game.

While most Maharajas themselves (mainly of Vizianagaram, Patiala, Porbandar, and Jamnagar) would choose to play and captain, Yashwantrao Holkar II let a cricketer take the call on cricketing matters. He gave a free hand to the legendary CK Nayudu to run the team. Thus, started the process of the formation of one of the strongest domestic sides with Nayudu getting top players with an attacking flair for his side.

To add to the top local players, Mushtaq Ali and Madhavsinh Jagdale, Nayudu brought in Hiralal Gaekwad, a young bowler nobody knew much about from Nagpur, Chandu Sarwate, Khandu Rangnekar and Bhausaheb Nimbalkar came from Maharashtra and Nayudu’s brother, CS Nayudu, also joined. When England premier batter, Denis Compton, was posted near Indore, Nayudu swooped in to get him to play for Holkar as well.

“It became a formidable team,” said former MP all-rounder Sanjay Jagdale, son of Madhavsinh. “The best thing was that it was an attacking side, with the exception of Sarwate, who was a grafter. From Ali to No 9 Gaekwad everybody was an attacking batter. They were playing the Col CK Nayudu brand of cricket, which was natural because he was their god and guru.”

It also helped that the Maharaja would give everyone jobs as well. It gave them security and allowed them to give their best.

Another MP stalwart, Bhagwandas Suthar, who was a disciple of Nayudu, said: “The job security offered by the Maharaja helped form a very good team. Sarwate was made Captain, Jagdale saab was a Major. Everyone got something.” On the field, though, Nayudu was the driving force. “He knew how to get the best out of the players,” said Jagdale Jr, who also served as BCCI secretary and India selector. "He could make anybody open: someday it could be Sarwate, someday it could be my father and, in another match, it could be Kamal Bhandarkar. He had that terrific ability to take decisions and take a risk. It was the same with the bowlers as well.” And despite all that, it didn't mean that the team lacked discipline. Nayudu ensured everyone in the team, star or not, fell in line.

Taking on Statham

Nayudu is part of MP’s folklore and Jagdale recalled: “My father used to tell me a story. When the Commonwealth team had come to Indore in 1952, young pacer Brian Statham was with the team. He was bowling real quick. Col saab called Hiralal Gaekwad (fondly called as Ghasu). He said, ‘Ghasu pad karo…’ Gaekwad used to bat at No 8 or 9. And here he was being asked to bat at No 4. Then he said, ‘just go and bang’. Gaekwad scored some 70 odd and hit Statham all over the park.”

Compton’s 249 not out

A famous Holkar tale involves Compton, who was stationed with the British army in India in the 1940s. Nayudu managed to get the permission from the England great’s commanding officer so that he could represent Holkar. But Compton was allowed a limited number of days off. The Holkars, hence, decided to keep Compton for their most important games of the 1944-45 season.

Compton was drafted into the side for the semi-final against Madras, where he top-scored 81 to take Holkar into the final. In the title clash at the Brabourne Stadium, Bombay set a massive target of 869 to win. Compton hit an unbeaten 249. Bombay still won but Compton’s innings was a reflection of the brand of cricket that the Holkars liked to play.

During the Holkar era too, there were strong outfits like Bombay, Baroda and Bengal. But Nayudu had a knack of lifting his players’ confidence. He knew he had the players and as they reached final after final, their confidence soared. The Holkar era ended with the territory being merged into Madhya Bharat and then became Madhya Pradesh. But their legend lives on.

IPL 2024