Obituary of Vasant Raiji

Vasant Raiji is no more with us. The great soul has gone but his writings will remain forever.  He has been a genuine historian of Indian cricket. Concentrating on knowledge and integrity, Vasantji did not need any external support of degrees and ornamentation. Not shackled to any media group or to any sponsor, the qualified chartered accountant charted an independent path of sincere research and freedom of expression. He did not need to impress or to decry any individual or institution.

He was a hero to me for his meticulous work on Indian cricket. His authoritative book ‘India’s Hambledon Men’ is certainly the finest of his various publications. He preferred the company of serious cricket writers and in his final years found in Makarand Waingankar an ideal person to interact with.

Although cricketers are notoriously weak in cricket history, Vasantji happened to be a glorious exception. Following his prominence as a first-class cricket, he developed himself to be among the prominent cricket historians in our country. His research on Indian cricket is at a different level to others.

He was denied recognition in his own land. At a time when copyists are reaping awesome benefits, the treatment meted out to him remains a matter of shame. His life of over 100 years has been full of education and enterprise. Vasantji’s work will gain importance as the years go by.

I believe he was a fantastic conversationalist. For a man of his wide spectrum of knowledge he surely must have been. How I wish I was able to establish contact with him during my frequent visits to Mumbai. But destiny willed otherwise. The person I respected the most among cricket historians is the person whom I failed to reach. A regret that will only increase with time.

Vasant Raiji was a contemporary of Vijay Merchant. He was an excellent batsman, good enough to represent Bombay and Baroda in the Ranji Trophy championships in the 1940s. Although he could not make the final XI of the Hindu team in the Pentangular, he was capable enough to be considered in the reserves squad.

He was very highly regarded by men of the prominence of DB Deodhar, Vijay Hazare, Polly Umrigar and Raj Singh, among others. His authorship was based on exemplary research and independent analysis. He was very mucha man of the world, yet not quite in it. He enjoyed companionship but hated flattery.

The best compliments would be offered to him by the copyists who would publish from his ‘works’ without acknowledging the man. He would best be remembered by his writings which will be copied and recopied by various sources without giving the person any credit. He will forever loom in the background of every author who tries to write on India’s early cricket history.

Raju MUkherji