Gandhi's multiple cricket connections | #175

Sep 30, 2023

Hello Friends,

We at IWTK like our little traditions. Every year, around October 2nd, the newsletter is dedicated to the father of our nation and the man on our currency notes - Mahatma Gandhi. But, we also like to think of bringing out new stories about relevant current events. So this week, we try to see if there are any connections with Mahatama Gandhi and Cricket as India is all set to host the 13th ODI World Cup.

So strap in for some connections that make you go either wow or whaaa?

Things we learnt this week 🤓

If we were in the business of clickbait, our headline might read: "Breaking News: Mahatma Gandhi, a Secret Test Cricketer for England, Shared the Field with Douglas Jardine!" That's obviously false! However, there’s an unusual twist in this tale - Laxmi Merchant, sister of the cricketing legend Vijay Merchant, was quite the autograph hunter. In 1933-34, she managed to bag the signatures of the entire MCC squad touring India. On bumping into Mahatma Gandhi, she couldn’t resist asking for his autograph. Gandhi, with a twinkle in his eye, scanned through the book and promptly added his signature, declaring himself the 17th member of the English squad! And that, my friends, is how Mahatma Gandhi took a sneaky single and got himself into the English cricket team.

Gandhi and Jardine in the same squad. What if?

Where did India win its first ODI match on home soil? Well, given the theme of our newsletter, it may not bowl you over to learn that it was at the Gandhi Stadium in Jalandhar! By 1981, the cricket world had already basked in the glory of two World Cups, yet it was the year when India hosted its maiden ODI. With Dilip Vengsarkar scoring a splendid 88, India chased down England’s modest target, marking a historic win on home soil. Here’s the twist in the tale — the Gandhi Stadium witnessed only one test match, where a strapping Kapil Dev nabbed a wicket with the very first ball against Pakistan in 1983! Kapil Dev mirrored this feat in 1992 at Kingsmead, Durban, a city famously linked to Mahatma Gandhi. It was here that Gandhi faced the infamous incident of being ejected from a train, sparking a journey towards equality and justice. We think we have hit a six with this connection!

Continuing on the India and South Africa connection, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi were two stalwarts of the 20th century, embodying the relentless pursuit of justice, equality, and freedom. It isn’t surprising that the 2 cricket boards - BCCI and CSA decided to honour them by instituting the Freedom Series in 2015 for test series between the 2 teams. The trophy is dedicated to Mandela and Gandhi. In the lead up to the 2015 test series, BCCI tried to get some iron jail rods from Yerwada Jail in Pune, where Gandhi was imprisoned. The authorities did not bother to respond to the request. Similarly CSA tried to get some barbed wire from Robben Island. In the end they settled on a sleek black trophy with gold plated silhouettes of the 2 leaders.