Indian cricketer (1919–2012)
Bhausaheb Babasaheb Nimbalkar (12 December 1919 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian first-class cricketer who is remembered for his innings of 443 not out in the 1948–49 Ranji Trophy match between Maharashtra and Kathiawar. At the time, it was the second-highest score in the history of first-class cricket. It remains the Indian record and is also the highest score by a batsman who never played in Test cricket. Nimbalkar was a right-handed batsman whose career spanned the seasons from 1939/40 to 1963/64. He played for six first-class teams: Baroda, Maharashtra, Holkar, Madhya Bharat, Rajasthan, and Railways. He was an occasional wicket-keeper and a right-arm fast-medium bowler.
Early life
Nimbalkar was born in Kolhapur.[1] He had his early education at the Model School in Kolhapur, and captained the school team at the age of 15.[citation needed]
Career
Debut
Nimbalkar joined Baroda and, aged 19, made his debut (both first-class and Ranji Trophy) on 18–20 November 1939 against Gujarat at Baroda's Police Gymkhana Ground.[a] Baroda won the match by 52 runs. They scored 127 and 166; Gujarat replied with 100 and 141. Batting in the lower middle order, Nimbalkar scored 6 and 27. He opened the bowling with Edulji Gai and took 3/16 and 1/36.[3] His older brother, wicket-keeper Raosaheb Nimbalkar, was also playing that match and the two often appeared alongside each other.[4]
Record score in India
Nimbalkar moved to Maharashtra and played for them until 1950/51. During the 1948–49 Ranji Trophy, in the match against Kathiawar on the Poona Club Ground, Nimbalkar scored 443 not out.[5] At the time, Nimbalkar's innings was second only to Don Bradman's 452 not out (in 1929/30) as the world record for the highest individual innings in first-class cricket. Currently, the innings is the fourth-highest of all time, having been surpassed by those of Pakistani batting great Hanif Mohammad (499 in 1958/59) and the Wet Indian Brian Lara (501* in 1994).
He was unable to break the record because, with the total standing at 826 for 4 at the lunch interval, the opposing captain, the Thakore Saheb of Rajkot, conceded the match to prevent embarrassment on the part of his team. However, Bradman sent a personal note to Nimbalkar saying that he considered Nimbalkar's innings better than his own.[6][7][8][9]
Summary
Despite an impressive batting average of 56.72 in Ranji Trophy matches, and his additional abilities as a wicket-keeper and a fast-medium bowler, Nimbalkar never played Test cricket during a first-class career that stretched from 1939–40 to 1963–64.[1] He was named the Indian Cricketer of the Year in 1952/53.[1]
Later years and death
Between 1976/77 and 1982/83, Nimbalkar's son, Suryaji Nimbalkar, played in twelve first-class matches for Railways and Maharashtra.[10] Nimbalkar received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002,[1] the highest honour bestowed on a former player by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.[11] He died in Kolhapur on 11 December 2012, the day before his 93rd birthday.[1][12]
