C. K. Nayudu
Born 31 October 1895 · Maharashtra
Died 14 November 1967
First captain of the Indian national cricket team in Test cricket in 1932.
🔔 Add birthday reminderColonel Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu was an Indian cricketer and cricket administrator who served as the first captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is widely regarded as one of India's greatest cricketers. Nayudu's first-class cricket career spanned 47 years, from 1916 to 1963, a world record. He was a right-handed batsman, an accurate medium pace bowler, and a fine fielder.
✨ A detail that surprised us
Nayudu’s first-class cricket career lasted 47 years, from 1916 to 1963, setting a world record for longevity in the sport.
1. In 1926–27, C. K. Nayudu stunned cricket by scoring 153 runs in just 116 minutes against the Marylebone Cricket Club, smashing 11 sixes—a world record at the time—and sparking India's rise to Test status.
2. 🌟 In 1932, Nayudu captained India in their inaugural Test match on English soil, leading the team as the top run-scorer and taking 65 wickets on that England tour.
3. As a domestic cricket titan, Nayudu played for nine different teams including Hindus, Holkar, and Andhra, amassing over 12,000 first-class runs across an extraordinary 47-year career from 1916 to 1963.
4. ⚔️ In 1923, the Holkar State ruler awarded Nayudu the rank of colonel, a rare honor linking cricket prowess to princely patronage, allowing him to reside in Indore and lead their Ranji Trophy team to multiple finals.
5. At age 51, Nayudu scored a double century (200 runs) in the Ranji Trophy, becoming one of the few cricketers to achieve such a feat past the age of fifty, defying conventional athletic aging norms.
6. Nayudu's sixes were not just cricket shots; historian Ramachandra Guha interprets each as a nationalist retort to British colonialism, making him a cultural icon beyond the sport.
7. In 1956, he became the first cricketer awarded the Padma Bhushan, marking a rare intersection of sport and national recognition in independent India.
8. ❓ How did Nayudu’s towering presence and cricketing style reshape the Indian identity amid colonial rule, transcending caste and class barriers through sport?
Awards & Honours
- 🏅Padma Bhushan
🔍 One thing most people don't know
Nayudu’s 153 runs against MCC in 1926–27 included 11 sixes and 14 fours, setting a world record for sixes in an innings at that time.
🖼️ Through the Years
📅 The Journey
🗝️ Discoveries
"C. K. Nayudu was the first Indian cricketer to be a popular hero, whose appeal transcended the barriers of caste, class, gender and religion. Each of his sixes was interpreted as a nationalist answer to the British Raj." - Ramachandra Guha
— C. K. Nayudu
🎥 Speeches & Recordings
Sunil Gavaskar Reminisces About Lala Amarnath, CK Nayudu & Kapil Dev | The Quint
YouTube📖 Curated Sources
🌱 What changed because of them
Nayudu’s leadership in India’s first Test match laid a foundation for India’s international cricket identity. The BCCI honors his memory through the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award and the under-25 C. K. Nayudu Trophy, shaping generations of cricketers. His role in establishing the Andhra Cricket Association expanded cricket’s reach into southern India.
💬 Social Buzz
🐦
What are people saying about C. K. Nayudu?
Found a post from a historian, journalist or notable voice? Share it here and help tell their story. 🇮🇳