Former wicketkeeper KS Indrajitsinhji dies

KS Indrajitsinhji, the former India wicketkeeper who also played for Delhi and Saurashtra, has died at the age of 73. He was a nephew of Duleepsinhji's and a grand-nephew of Ranji's, and a cousin of the late Hanumant Singh, the former India batsman and ICC match referee. His death, in Mumbai on Saturday, followed a struggle with cancer.

A competent wicketkeeper and a sound right-hand batsman, who could open or go in the middle order, Indrajitsinhji's career coincided with those of Farokh Engineer and Budhi Kunderan, and his appearances for India were limited to when either of those was missing.

His break came against Australia in 1964-65, when he played in all three Tests and helped Chandu Borde put on 32 runs for the unbroken ninth-wicket partnership to help India clinch a memorable two-wicket victory in Bombay. An injury to Engineer brought him back for one more Test - against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1969-70.

He achieved greater success in the Ranji Trophy while playing for both Delhi and Saurashtra. He was one of the first wicketkeepers to complete 100 dismissals in the tournament and in 1960-61 claimed 23 victims, then the record. In a first-class career that stretched almost 20 years, Indrajitsinhji scored 3694 runs (26.76) with five centuries and had 210 dismissals, 133 of them caught.

Paying tribute to him in Mid-Day, Yajurvindra Singh said "Inder" helped in the emergence of several Saurashtra players playing in Mumbai, including Karsan Ghavri. "Inder had an astute cricketing mind and knew the history of the game rather well," he said.