Mumbai: The 45th edition of the Duleep Trophy inter-zonal cricket championship begins at the Motibagh Palace Ground, Baroda and the Race Course Ground, Rajkot on Thursday with a historical tinge on the centenary year of Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji.

It was in 1961-62 that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instituted the Duleep Trophy, immortalising the legendary figure born in June 13, 1905, though he played only two memorable matches in India — one for the Hindus and the other for the Viceroy's XII.

Playing for the Hindus (against Parsees), he scored 84 and 38 in the 1928 quadrangular tournament at Bombay. He hit 6 and 173 for the Viceroy's XII (against Roshnara Club and Visitors) at Delhi in 1932.

In all, he played 12 Tests for England against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and 205 first class matches, mostly for Sussex and Cambridge University.

Praise for Indian talent

And Duleepsinhji's opinion on Indian cricket and advice to India's cricketers were recalled in Duleep, A Centenary Tribute, published by historian Vasant Raiji. "An Indian cricketer is the most natural and talented cricketer in the world. If the game is worth playing then it is worth studying. There is a great difference between a hundred made on a good wicket and one made on a bad surface. It is only if we take this and other points like the strength of the opposition into consideration that averages help in the comparison of performance. I am not a believer in averages. We must learn a lesson from our failures and do everything possible to overcome shortcomings. Good team-work, good fellowship amongst players, good scoring rate, good length bowling and smart fielding are the fundamentals of success in cricket.''

A correspondent for Reuters, his reports appeared in The Hindu. Duleepsinhji died in Bombay on December 5, 1959 and two years later, the then BCCI administrators — M.A. Chidambaram and M. Chinnaswamy — put in place a competition for the five zonal sides in memory of Duleep. Unquestionably, one among the principal competitions, the Duleep Trophy — other two being the Ranji Trophy and Zal Irani Cup — has turned out to be an entry-level tournament for aspiring cricketers keen and eager to don the India cap. West and South dominated the championship for many years, before North came into the picture. West and North have locked horns many times and as a result, players performing in this tournament were always encouraged and picked in the National team.

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