Umrigar presented CK Nayudu Award

The CK Nayudu award, instituted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India a few years ago, is perhaps the most prestigeous award any cricketer can hope to get. Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali are among its recipients. And on Wednesday night, at a function at the Cricket Club of India, Polly Umrigar became the latest recipient of the annual award.

Umrigar's chief claim to fame is as one of the greatest Indian cricketers. He played 59 Tests from 1948 to 1962, scoring 3631 runs at an average of 42.22 with 12 hundreds. His batting records stood till 1978 when Sunil Gavaskar surpassed them. He also played 15 unofficial `Tests' against three Commonwealth teams, captained the country on a tour of Ceylon and led India in eight Test matches. He also took 35 wickets and held 33 catches. But he also served the cause of cricket in this country by being chairman of the selection committee, manager of touring teams and as executive secretary of the BCCI for many years.

So Umrigar, who turns 74 next month, was certainly a deserving winner of the award which carries a Rs two lakh cheque.

Speaking on the occasion, Umrigar noted that ``it is a very prestigious award named after a great cricketer. I still remember how he hit a huge six at the age of 60 in first-class cricket. Then, on one occasion, a delivery hit him so hard in the face that his dentures came off. CK picked them up, placed them in his pocket and continued batting. If that happened to a batsman today, there would be four doctors on the field,'' said Umrigar.

Umrigar had little hesitation in terming the honour as his finest hour.