Baba Sidhaye

Yeshwant Sidhaye (10 April 1932 – 24 November 2002), better known as Baba Sidhaye, was an Indian first-class cricketer who played for Maharashtra, Bombay and Railways. A deaf and mute cricketer, Sidhaye is recognized by the Limca Book of Records for his efforts. He is regarded as the "first deaf and mute cricketer to have taken the field"[1][2] and one of the best fielders in India during his playing career.[2]

Yeshwant Sidhaye
Personal information
Full nameYeshwant Prabhakar Sidhaye
Born(1932-04-10)10 April 1932
Iran
Died24 November 2002(2002-11-24) (aged 70)
Pune, Maharashtra, India
NicknameBaba, Panther
BattingRight-handed
BowlingLeg break googly
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1952/53–1966/67Maharashtra
1954/55Bombay
1961/62–1967/68Railways
Career statistics
Competition FC
Matches 51
Runs scored 1,862
Batting average 27.79
100s/50s 1/10
Top score 135
Balls bowled 772
Wickets 13
Bowling average 37.61
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 2/14
Catches/stumpings 36/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 20 June 2016

Early life

Sidhaye was born on 10 April 1932 and hails from a village called Konshi near Sawantwadi in Maharashtra. He was deaf and mute by birth. He later moved to Pune to play cricket.[3]

Career

Sidhaye made his first-class debut for Maharashtra at the age of 20 and went on to appear in 51 matches. He played most of his cricket for Maharashtra and Railways, and made a few appearances for Bombay, Indian Universities and West Zone.[4] His only first-class hundred of 135 runs came while playing for Maharashtra against Baroda at the 1956–57 Ranji Trophy during which he shared a 238-run partnership with captain Bapu Nadkarni.[5] Although Sidhaye did not play international cricket, he appeared in first-class matches against the visiting New Zealand, West Indian, Australian and Ceylonese teams during various points of his career.[6]

Sidhaye also played for the Hindu Gymkhana in the Kanga League and, in 1972, hit a 59-minute century in a match, which was then a world record.[7][1]

Sidhaye also coached cricketers after his playing career. He was the coach of the Bombay Cricket Association and is said to have trained over 50 first-class cricketers.[1] He spotted Balwinder Sandhu at a summer coaching camp and trained him, before Sandhu went on to play for India.[3]

Playing style

Sidhaye was as a hard-hitting middle-order batsman and part-time leg spinner. He was known as an agile fielder in the covers and earned the nickname "Panther" due to his swift movement while fielding.[7] Bapu Nadkarni, who was the captain of Sidhaye at Maharashtra and Hindu Gymkhana, recalls, "He was a wonderfully gifted player. Under my captaincy, he scored three centuries, each one being a gem. And what a fielder! He and Ravi Bhadbhade in the covers were simply brilliant. Getting the ball past them was impossible. Baba enjoyed his cricket and didn't bother about anything."[3]

Personal life

Sidhaye and his wife Pramodini Sidhaye[2] had a son and two daughters; their son Pravin Sidhaye also played cricket.[7] Baba Sidhaye died on 24 November 2002 after a prolonged illness.

In 2011, Sidhaye was recognized by the Limca Book of Records for having "excelled in the field of cricket" despite being "differently-abled".[1]

See also
  • Iqbal, an Indian film about a deaf and mute boy who aspires to be a cricketer.

References
  1. Patra, Sajal K. (29 July 2015). "Do you know Baba Sidhaye - the real 'Iqbal' of Indian cricket who died fighting for recognition?". News18. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. Lahiri, Dipankar (29 July 2015). "Baba 'Panther' Sidhaye – The unacknowledged inspiration for Iqbal and very first deaf and mute cricketer". Yahoo!. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  3. Waingankar, Makarand (28 August 2013). "Was 'Iqbal' inspired by this Baba?". The Times of India. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  4. "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Yeshwant Sidhaye". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  5. "Maharashtra v Baroda in 1956/57". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  6. "First-Class Matches played by Yeshwant Sidhaye". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  7. "Former Ranji cricketer Sidhaye dead". The Times of India. 25 November 2002. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
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