OTD | Former Indian player Vinoo Mankad was born in 1917

‘Mankading’ was a term used by cricket enthusiasts to explain a run out that occurred on the bowler’s end without the ball being delivered. In the last few years, it has been made an official mode of run-out dismissal. However, do you know who was the pioneer of this mode of dismissal? For the unversed, former India allrounder Vinoo Mankad.

Apart from giving birth to one of the most controversial modes of dismissal in the world, Mankad has been one of the most blessed children of the game. As the world celebrates his 107th birth anniversary we will delve into his journey and relive some iconic moments of his illustrious career.

Vinoo Mankad was born On April 12th, 1917, in the city of Jamnagar (now in Gujarat). Since the start of his career, Mankad was more into bowling than batting. However, by the time he improved his batting too and became the fastest allrounder to take 100 Test wickets and 1000 runs. He achieved this feat in just 23 Tests for India which was quickest at that time.

Controversy with BCCI and club cricket journey:

In 1952 after six years of international cricket, Mankad was an established name in the World of cricket. A song was composed in honour of him for his amazing performances. However, his relations with the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) turned sour when he decided to turn professional.

Mankad was the first professional cricketer of India who signed a contract with Lancashire’s Haslingden Club. His decision didn’t go well with the BCCI as they had a rift for some time. However, Mankad continued his excellence in international cricket as he finished his career with more than 2000 runs and 162 wickets in 44 Tests.

Out of these 44 Test matches, a game at Lord’s in 1952 was the true display of Vinoo Mankad’s abilities. The man batted twice in the game and scored 72 and 184 runs respectively. He didn’t stop there and went on to bowl 97 overs as he took five important wickets. Many news agencies called it a game between Mankad and England.

His amazing dedication and unparalleled energy were the biggest strength of his career. The boy who lost his six years of cricket because of World War 2 would have been named more successful if he had received the opportunity at the right time. Despite so many adversities Mankad not only bloomed but also helped India to grow its cricket journey.