Ranvirsinhji


Maharaj Shri Ranvirsinhji, a member of the Jamnagar royal family, played first-class cricket in India from 1936 to 1952. He toured Australia with the Indian team in 1947-48 but did not play Test cricket.
Ranvirsinhji made his first-class debut in 1936-37 at the age of 17, and played in the Nawanagar team that won the Ranji Trophy final a few months later, along with his brother Indravijaysinhji and their cousin Yadvendrasinhji. In 1937-38 he made his highest score, 53, opening the batting for Nawanagar in an innings victory over Sind.
He made 31 and 43 and took 6 for 84 when Nawanagar lost by an innings to Bombay in the Ranji Trophy in 1946-47. But overall, in three matches in 1946-47 he scored only 137 runs at an average of 27.40, and he was a surprise late inclusion in the Indian team that toured Australia in 1947-48. In his first match of the tour, against New South Wales, he was injured when a ball from Ray Lindwall struck him on the knee. Later on the tour he had trouble with his eyes, and a specialist in Melbourne had a pair of spectacles made for him. He played only two first-class matches and was the only member of the 17-man team who did not play any of the Tests.
After the tour he did not play first-class cricket until 1950-51, when he returned to play for two unsuccessful seasons with Services.
His son Prahlad Singh played five matches for Saurashtra from 1958 to 1967.

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