Indian Criket before Independence

Ranjitsinhji

In 1848, the Parsi community in bombay formed the Oriental Cricket Club, the first cricket club to be established by Indians. After slow beginnings, the Europeans eventually invited the Parsis to play a match in 1877. By 1912, the Parsis,Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims of Bombay played a quadrangular tournament with the Europeans every year.
In the early 1900s, some Indians went on to play for the English cricket team. Some of these, such as Ranjitsinhji and KS Duleepsinhji were greatly appreciated by the British and their names went on to be used for the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy- two major first class tournaments in India

Ranjitsinhji

Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji Jadeja,Maharaj Jam sahib of Nawanagar (10 September 1872 - 2 April 1933) (known as K.S. Ranjitsinhji, Ranji or Smith during his career) was an Indian King and Test Cricketer who played for the English Cricket Team. He also played First Class Cricket for Cambridge university, and county cricket for Sussex.
Ranji is widely regarded as one of the greatest Batsmen of all time,Neville Cardus(English writer and critics) describing him as "the Midsummer night's dream of cricket". Unorthodox in technique and with fast reactions, he brought a new style to batting and revolutionised the game. Previously batsmen generally pushed forward; Ranji took advantage of the improving pitches of the time and relied on a back and across defensive stroke and played elegant strokes off the back foot in attack. He had a strong late cut and is noted for his popularisation or invention of the Leg Glance. The first-class cricket tournament in India, the Ranji Trophy, was named in his honour and was started in 1935.

Career

Competition	Test	FC
Matches	15	307
Runs scored	989	24692
Batting average	44.95	56.37
100s/50s	2/6	72/109
Top score	175	285*

Ranji was a wisden cricketer of the year in 1897,Queen victoria's diamond jubilee year; in the same year, he published The jubilee book of cricket

KS DULEEPSINHJI

Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji Jadeja (June 13, 1905 - December 5, 1959) was a cricketer who played for England.He was nephew of Ranjitsinhji,achieved similar fame as a batsman playing first-class cricket in England and for the English cricket team.

Duleepsinhji went on to achieve great success as a Batsman for Cambridge university, Sussex and eventually England  in a career cut short by recurrent illness. His Test average of 58.5 ranks him among the best batsmen to have played Test cricket.

CAREER

Competition	Test	First-class
Matches	12	205
Runs scored	995	15,485
Batting average	58.52	49.95
100s/50s	3/5	50/64
Top score	173	333

KS DULEEPSINHJI

The Duleep Trophy is named in his Honour.

England team v. Australia, Trent Bridge 1899. Back row: Dick Barlow (umpire), Tom Hayward, George Hirst, Billy Gunn, J T Hearne (12th man), Bill Storer (wkt kpr), Bill Brockwell, V A Titchmarsh (umpire). Middle row: C B Fry, K S Ranjitsinhji, W G Grace (captain), Stanley Jackson. Front row: Wilfred Rhodes, Johnny Tyldesley.