Delhi First Test Cricketer Prakash Bhandari Dies: Cricket, golf, and bridge players from Delhi will gather at the India International Centre today (Saturday) to attend a condolence meeting for their peer, Prakash Bhandari. Prakash Bhandari was the first cricketer from Delhi to play Test matches for India. He also represented India in golf and bridge. He was 90 years old. He passed away on Wednesday, November 19.
Seventy years ago, Prakash Bhandari played his first Test in Karachi in 1955 against Pakistan on a matting wicket. Batting at number 8, he scored 19 runs in the first innings and 6 in the second, and took one wicket with his off-spin. He was an aggressive batsman, an excellent leg-break bowler, and a brilliant fielder. At that time, he was one of India's youngest Test players.
Prakash Bhandari spent his childhood in Anand Parvat, where he played and learned cricket. Prakash Bhandari, a student of Ramjas School, Karol Bagh, and Hindu College, played his last Test match in 1956 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata against Australia. It is said that he was among the most brilliant young talents to emerge in Indian cricket in the 1950s.
He earned his Test cap at the young age of just 19. In those days, opportunities for Indian players in international cricket were scarce, so playing Test cricket at such a young age was a significant achievement in itself. However, regrettably, his international career was limited to just three Test matches.
Former Delhi Ranji Trophy captain Venkat Sundaram says that Prakash Bhandari played throughout his life. After leaving cricket, he took up golf and then also tried his hand at bridge. Prakash Bhandari played for Delhi Schools and Delhi University from 1951 to 1956. He played approximately 60 matches for the Delhi Ranji Trophy team.
Bhandari used to say that after retiring from cricket, he got involved with golf. While playing golf, bridge also drew him in. Players with natural talent like Prakash Bhandari are rarely seen. He managed to achieve mastery in three sports. This is no ordinary feat.
Luck did not favour him in international cricket. He mostly batted in the lower order and was given very little bowling. He showed his true brilliance in domestic cricket. First for Delhi, and then for Bengal for a few seasons. He scored approximately 2,552 runs in 63 first-class matches, with an average of around 32-33.
He scored four centuries, with his highest score being 227 against Patiala for Delhi in 1957-58. In the same match, he also took 9 wickets – a double century and nine wickets in a single match! This was the most spectacular example of his all-round capabilities.
If One Day or T20 cricket had existed in Prakash Bhandari's era, he would have been a superstar. Cricketers and cricket enthusiasts from Delhi's past era are saddened by his demise. Renowned cricket commentator Ravi Chaturvedi says that if luck had been a little kinder, Prakash Bhandari's name would have shone much brighter in the history of Indian cricket.
The Hindu College Old Students' Association also expressed grief over his passing. He was a student of Hindu College from 1952-55. It is worth noting that Team India coaches Gautam Gambhir, Ajay Jadeja, and Saba Karim also hail from Hindu College.
