Name Hindi: रुस्तमजी जमशेदजी / Gender Man
Rustomji Jamshedji
As one of the earliest figures in the world of Indian cricket, Rustomji Jamshedji made significant contributions to the sport during his career. From his remarkable gameplay to training future stars, he was passion incarnate when it came to this timeless game.
Early Life and Career
Rustomji Jamshedji (full name – Rustomji Behramji Jamshedji) was born on December 26th, 1892, in Navsari, a city situated in Gujarat, India. His interest in cricket began at an early age which led him into playing professionally for Bombay.
In 1929-30, Jamshedji made a decisive impact by scoring back-to-back centuries in first class games which caught the attention of selectors. This is how he got selected for the Test against England at Mumbai’s Gymkhana Ground wherein he became the seventh cricketer to represent India at international level. Though being a right-hand batsman primarily, known particularly for his strong defence against fast bowlers with medium pace or spinners.
Career Highlights
- Jamshedji appeared overall four times for India as a Test player making his debut against England on December 15th, 1933.
- In his initial test match itself he scored an impressive 36 runs (his highest score) contributing significantly towards team’s total and shared a partnership of 53 runs with skipper CK Nayudu despite challenging conditions.
- In subsequent matches too he proved his potential but unfortunately couldn’t make big scores due to luck running out sooner before he could exploit pitch conditions well.
- Apart from these performances internationally, he played successfully domestically notching up 1,492 runs which included three centuries and seven half-centuries with an average of over 30 in domestic first-class cricket. His highest score was 156.
- Rustomji’s career lasted from the age of 37 till he reached his early forties but within this short span became one among very rare cricketers to take a wicket off his first bowl in Test Cricket.
Life after Retirement
Post his retirement in 1948-49 from professional cricket as a player, Jamshedji did not abandon this sport altogether. Instead, he redirected his experience towards training the future generation making him an integral part of cricket even post-retirement. He went on to impart coaching at Dadar Parsi Zoroastrian Cricket Club (DPZCC) and took the prestigious role being Bombay team’s selector during multiple seasons thereby sharing invaluable knowledge gained over years playing right up in international level.
It is undeniable that Rustomji Jamshedji had immense passion for cricket both on and off the field. Even though his active career was comparably short-lived lasting around six years only, his impact made through this period alongwith subsequent contribution nurturing talents echo longer than what statistics show.
Death
Rustomji Behramji Jamshedji died on November 6th, 1976, leaving behind a significant legacy in Indian cricket circles.
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