Manohar Hardikar

Manohar Hardikar Biography

Despite his impressive domestic numbers and back-to-back Ranji titles as captain, Manohar Hardikar played a mere 2 Tests, both in the ill-fated “series of four captains” against West Indies in 1958-59.

He helped India save the Bombay Test on debut, adding an unbroken 85 with Gulabrai Ramchand for the 6th wicket. He also got Rohan Kanhai that Test. India lost the next Test at Kanpur; Hardikar scored 13 and 11, and never played another Test.

To be fair to the selectors, he was reconsidered two Tests later at Chepauk, when Cotar Ramaswami wanted Hardikar to replace Vijay Manjrekar. Unfortunately, Hardikar missed the last flight from Bombay, and Apoorva Sengupta of Services became a last-minute inclusion.

At domestic level Hardikar was among the gutsiest of batsmen, epitomising the spirit of Bombay cricket. His 2,592 First-Class runs came at 33, while his mixed-bag of slow-medium paced bowling and off-breaks got him 74 wickets at 32.

Hardikar sprang to fame in the Ranji Trophy final of 1955-56, strangling Bengal with figures of 39.1-27-39-8. They remained the best figures in a Ranji Trophy final for 17 seasons.

He bowed out of First-Class cricket at a mere 32, but not before he led Bombay in a Ranji Trophy. Set to chase 249, Bombay ran into trouble against Srinivas Venkataraghavan and VV Kumar, and were reduced to 109 for 5. Hardikar followed his first-innings 73 with 62 not out, and saw Bombay to 225 for 5 in the company of Eknath Solkar. They won on first-innings lead.

He played a couple of Relief Fund matches that season, and was named an Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year after his final First-Class match.

Manohar Hardikar died of cancer a mere four days before his 59th birthday.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Manohar Hardikar Batting & Fielding Averages

Career

Avg

100s

50s

Test

ODIs

T20s

World Cup

Manohar Hardikar Bowling Averages

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