CK Nayudu

CK Nayudu Biography

Cottari Kanakaiya ‘CK’ Nayudu was easily the first outstanding cricketer to play Test cricket for India. A man with a ramrod-straight spine even in his 70s, Nayudu stood apart from his contemporaries in a sense of self-discipline that often bordered on military lines.

A Captain in the Holkar Army, Nayudu was a strict believer of a Spartan attitude on and off the ground, and was successful in imbibing the culture among his contemporaries (though he allowed Denis Compton to have his drink when the latter played for Holkar).

Nayudu could hit the ball very clean and very far. His most iconic innings was undoubtedly the ruthless assault on Arthur Gilligan’s MCC, where he smashed 153 in 100 minutes with 13 fours (14 according to some sources) and 11 sixes. Anandji Dossa estimated that CK required a mere 49 scoring shots.

The innings changed Indian cricket completely. In fact, it had such profound effect on Gilligan that India became a full member of ICC by 1929 and played their first Test in 1932: fittingly, 36-year old CK was their first captain. India reduced England to 19 for 3 in the first morning before running out of steam as the Test proceeded.

However, he had a tremendous tour with 1,618 runs at 40 and 65 wickets at 26. This included a shot over the square boundary of Edgbaston that crossed River Rea: the shot actually travelled from Warwickshire to Worcestershire. He was named Wisden Cricket Cricketer of the Year.

Nayudu played only 7 Tests — all after turning 36 — scoring 350 runs at 25 and taking 9 wickets at 43 with his medium-paced cutters. It was only Vizzy’s ridiculous presence that kept him from leading India on the 1936 tour as well.

In a First-Class career that spanned almost 50 years (he was almost 70 when he quit), he scored 11,825 runs at 36 and snared 411 wickets at 29. However, one must remember that First-Class cricket took off in India only after Nayudu was well past 40. He was also an extremely fit fielder.

A natural leader of men, Nayudu stood head and shoulders above his teammates in stature. He led Holkar to 8 Ranji Trophy finals in 9 seasons, winning 4 titles.

Nayudu later became Chairman of Selectors, the highlight of which was the Vinoo Mankad controversy, when the legendary all-rounder, not guaranteed a spot on the tour, signed up for Haslingden in Lancashire League instead. The Nayudu-Mankad rift continued till their last days, but seldom did it surface the way it did during a match between Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan: Mankad, incensed at an LBW appeal turned down, bowled everything (including beamers), and was clobbered brutally by a 61-year old Nayudu for 84.

By then Nayudu had become the first cricketer to be awarded the Padma Bhushan. The CCI Banquet Hall has been named after him, as is a street in Nagpur and The Lifetime Achievement Award in Indian Cricket.

CK’s brother Cottari Subbanna ‘CS’ also played Tests, while his other brothers CL and CR played First-Class cricket, as did his sons CN and Prakash, grandson Vijay, and nephews DD Govindraj and D Inder Raj.

CK passed away at 72. If we go by DB Deodhar Heavy smoking (unusual for a man with CK’s lifestyle), was significantly responsible for the relatively early death of a man who was otherwise supremely fit and had played First-Class cricket till 4 years back.

Abhishek Mukherjee

CK Nayudu Batting & Fielding Averages

Career

Avg

100s

50s

Test

ODIs

T20s

World Cup

CK Nayudu Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
ODIs	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--