Dilip Jajodia

Dilip Jajodia (born 1944)[1][2] is an Indian businessman, and current owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, which manufactures the Dukes cricket ball.

Dilip Jajodia
Born1944 (age 76–77)
NationalityIndian
OccupationBusinessman
Known forOwner of British Cricket Balls Ltd

Personal life

Jajodia's family are from the Marwar region of Rajasthan in north-west India. He studied at the Bishop Cotton Boys' School in Bangalore, India, and has a degree in management. In 1962, Jajodia moved with his family to England.[1][2] He played club cricket in India and England[2] as an all-rounder.[3] Jadojia says that he "lost his edge" after suffering a mouth injury fielding at silly point.[3] Jajodia lives in north-east London, and runs the Woodford Wells Cricket Club.[4][2] In 2019, Jajodia delivered a Gen KS Thimayya memorial lecture.[5]

Career
A Dukes cricket ball

In England, Jajodia worked as a Chartered Insurance Practitioner and a pension fund manager.[1] Jajodia started working in cricket ball manufacturing in 1983.[2] In 1987, Jajodia bought British Cricket Balls Ltd, the company that manufactures the Dukes cricket ball, from Gray-Nicolls.[1][6][2] Jajodia moved the manufacturing of Dukes cricket balls from Tunbridge Wells to Walthamstow.[2] Jajodia specifically chooses by hand the cricket balls to send to cricket venues for matches.[2] Dukes balls are used in matches in England and the West Indies.[7]

In 2017, Jajodia was in attendance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the first Sheffield Shield match to use the Dukes ball rather than the traditional Kookaburra ball.[6] After India's 2018 series in England, Jajodia said he has no plans to market the Dukes ball in India.[7] After the West Indies 2020 series in England, in which saliva could not be used to clean the cricket balls due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jajodia said that he was happy with the swing of the Dukes balls.[8]

References
  1. Sonwalkar, Prasun (21 November 2013). "Dilip Jajodia: man who makes English bowlers swing". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  2. Sundaresan, Bharat (11 June 2017). "Keeping the shine of the Dukes ball". The Indian Express. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  3. Vasu, Anand (8 August 2018). "The Indian behind the swing, seam and spin that left India short at Edgbaston". The Print. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  4. MacPhearson, Will (20 June 2017). "If the ball is anything to go by we could be tickled pink by cricket day-nighters". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  5. "Cricket and Cottons: Dukes ball owner Dilip Jajodia talks about his Bangalore connection". The Hindu. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. Edwards, Richard (8 February 2017). "How Australian cricket has broken with history through a fear of losing the Ashes". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  7. "Ball should be made for the conditions, not vice versa: Dilip Jajodia". The Hindu. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  8. "England vs West Indies: Dukes ball MD Dilip Jajodia happy with ball movement under 'no saliva' conditions". Inside Sport. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
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