Name Hindi: नारी ठेकेदार / Gender Man
Nari Ratanji Contractor: A Prominent Figure in the World of Cricket
Nari Ratanji Contractor is a highly esteemed former cricketer from India. He was born on March 7, 1934, in Godhra, Gujarat and is well-known for his outstanding cricket career. Specializing as a left-hand opening batsman, Contractor served as the captain for the Indian cricket team. Moreover, he has contributed significantly to multiple major cricket tournaments.
Career beginnings
Born into a Parsi family possessing great love for cricket, Nari’s passion for the game developed at an early age. His talent shone through when he began playing first-class cricket with Gujarat during the late 1950s.
- In 1952-1953, Nari made his noteworthy start in first-class cricket by scoring nearly one thousand runs—an achievement that highlighted his potential prominently among national selectors.
- His debut Test Match was against New Zealand in Delhi in December 1955 where he added a promising score of
41 to India’s total tally.
Golden Epoch-His Captaincy
In 1960 under Nari’s leadership skills, India enjoyed significant successes which started with winning series against Pakistan.
- Contractor took over the captaincy in Barbados Test (1961-62) against West Indies and retained it till February
1962 before being hit by Charlie Griffith’s short-pitched delivery. - Nari captained Indian Team during England tour held in summer of 1961 and heroically guided his teammates in every match.
- The fame of Contractor extended far beyond Indian territories–he led the Indian team into ten overseas tests.
Unfortunate Accident and Comeback
In 1962, Nari Contractor underwent a life-threatening injury during the tour to West Indies. He encountered an unfortunate accident–a bouncer from Charlie Griffith struck his head that resulted in a skull fracture.
- The critical injury caused him temporary unconsciousness; despite such horrific incident, he made a prodigious comeback but could never play at international level again.
- Nari played first-class matches until the mid-70s thereby ending his career with an impressive performance record; scoring over 8600 runs throughout his cricketing journey.
Awards and Honours
Contractor’s tenacity and talent have also won him numerous awards: Including thrice receiving the ‘Man of the Match’ title during International test series.
In conclusion, Nari Ratanji Contractor is not only remembered for his accomplished career but also valued as one whose indomitable spirit continues inspiring cricket enthusiasts worldwide. To this day, he stands as an exemplary figure in specialist coaching aids and several promising young cricketers look up to him as their mentor.
