India's oldest first-class cricketer Vasant Raiji passes away

India's oldest first-class cricketer Vasant Raiji passes away

Mumbai: India's oldest first-class cricketer Vasant Raiji died in the wee hours of Saturday. He was 100.

Raiji, a right-handed batsman, played nine first-class matches in the 1940s and scored a total 277 runs. He opened the batting for Bombay and Baroda in the Ranji Trophy, and was a reserve for the Hindus team in the 1941 Bombay Pentangular. His two highest scores came in Baroda's victory over Maharashtra in 1944-45, when he made 68 and 53.

Raiji had turned to writing following his cricketing career. He was also a chartered accountant by profession.

Following the death of B. K. Garudachar in February 2016, Raiji became India's oldest first-class cricketer.

He had celebrated his 100th birthday on January 26 this year which was attended by Steve Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar at his residence.

"Wishing you a very special 100th birthday, Shri Vasant Raiji. Steve & I had a wonderful time listening to some amazing cricket stories about the past. Thank you for passing on a treasure trove of memories about our beloved sport," Tendulkar had tweeted.

On March 7 this year, Raiji became the oldest living first-class cricketer in the world following the death of John Manners.

Enjoyed reading The Bridge Chronicle?
Your support motivates us to do better. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest stories.
You can also read on the go with our Android and iOS mobile app.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
The Bridge Chronicle
www.thebridgechronicle.com