India's oldest first class cricketer Vasant Raiji dies
Correspondent
MUMBAI, June 13 2020 (HS): Vasant Raiji, India's oldest first-class cricketer, died Saturday. He was 100 years old.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the death of Raiji.When India played their first Test at the home ground Bombay Gymkhana in 1932, Raiji was 13-year-old and watched this historic match.
He later made his first-class debut for the Cricket Club of India against Madhya Pradesh and Brar in Nagpur in 1939. He was a right-handed batsman.
Raiji made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bombay (now Mumbai) against Baroda in 1941 and started the innings under the captaincy of Vijay Merchant. He was a reserve player in the 1941 Bombay Pentagonal Hindu team.
On January 26 this year, Raiji celebrated his 100th birthday and Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh attended the celebration.
After the death of John Manners on March 7, Raiji became the world's oldest first-class cricketer. In the 1940s, Raiji played a total of 9 first-class matches and scored a total of 277 runs.
He was a chartered accountant by profession.