Raghunath Chandorkar, The Oldest Living Ranji Player, Turns 100

Former first-class cricketer Raghunath Chandorkar turned 100 years old on Saturday (November 21). He is the oldest living Ranji Trophy player and only the third one in history to complete a hundred years, the other two being Dinkar Balwant Deodhar and Vasant Naisadrai Raiji.

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Chandorkar was a middle-order batsman and leg spinner who represented Maharashtra in five Ranji matches played from 1943-44 to 1946-47. A few years later, he played for Mumbai in 1950-51. According to ESPNcricinfo, Chandorkar played seven first-class matches from 1943-44 to 1950-51 in which he scored 155 runs at an average of 15.50. His highest score was 37. He was also a wicket-keeper.

Born in Karjat town of Maharashtra, Chandorkar owned a glass works business till 1958 in Mazagaon, until it shut down. He then started working for a glass works factory, according to his family.

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Chandorkar now leads a quiet life in Dombivli, Mumbai. He was recently shifted to an old age facility as a safety precaution given the threat due to Covid-19 outbreak. He has been bedridden for the last six years and suffers from Alzheimer’s. He still enjoys watching cricket on TV.

“We don’t know what is going through his mind but he does watch cricket on TV,” Vinita, Chandorkar’s daughter-in-law, was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

Sudhir Vaidya, cricket statistician and historian, said that Chandorkar will be only the third Ranji Trophy cricketer to complete 100 years after Deodhar, who passed away in August 1993 and Vasant Raiji, who passed away earlier this year in the month of June. Chandorkar played for Pune’s SP College and PYC Gymkhana under the guidance of Deodhar.

The 82-year-old Vaidya, who served on the BCCI panel from 1974 to 2009, said he has a complete record of every Ranji player since 1934. He said he informed the Maharashtra Cricket Association about Chandorkar.

Dombivali Cricket Club’s official Murlidhar Marathe said that Chandorkar continued to coach well into his 70s and was quite well-known in the Thane, Kalyan, Dombivali and Ambernath belt.

Marathe recalled that Chandorkar was very conscious about his fitness and maintained a well-regulated diet. Even at the age of 80, Chandorkar rode his bicycle four kilometres from his house to the cricket grounds.

• Dinkar Balwant Deodhar
• Maharashtra Cricket Association
• oldest living Ranji player
• oldest Ranji player turns 100
• Raghunath Chandorkar
• Raghunath Chandorkar turns 100
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• Sudhir Vaidya
• Vasant Naisadrai Raiji