When Nehru and Radhakrishnan Faced Off on the Cricket Field: Who Won the Historic Match?

New Delhi: In a unique cricket match held in 1953 to raise funds for flood relief, India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and then Vice President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan faced each other on the field. In this historic encounter, Nehru’s team batted first, and the match ended in a draw, raising nearly one lakh rupees for flood victims.

A Rare Glimpse of Parliamentary Cricket

The match saw Nehru leading a team of Members of Parliament, while Dr. Radhakrishnan captained the opposing side. Rare video footage of the game, shared on social media platform X by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and credited to cricket archive expert Jai Galgali, shows Nehru, Radhakrishnan, and several MPs playing on the field as a large audience watched. The match took place just two months before Nehru’s 64th birthday, with Nehru winning the toss and opting to bat first.

Highlights from the Historic Footage

The video captures Nehru batting alongside then Leader of the Opposition A.K. Gopalan during the second innings of the two-day match. President Dr. Rajendra Prasad and several Union ministers are also seen enjoying the game from the stands. Nehru’s team declared their first innings at 220 runs for the loss of three wickets, while the Vice President’s team ended day one at 86 runs for two wickets.

On the second day, MPs took the field in traditional white cricket attire, prompting the commentator to remark, “There is no place for politics in cricket.” The footage also shows Nehru sprinting to prevent a boundary, highlighting his enthusiasm for the game. Both leaders appealed for generous contributions to flood relief during the match.

Match Ends in a Draw

Dr. Radhakrishnan’s eleven declared their first innings at 231 for six wickets. Nehru’s team declared their second innings at 160 for three wickets. The match ultimately ended in a draw, with Nehru taking on the role of auctioneer to raise funds for relief efforts. The exhibition match successfully collected nearly one lakh rupees for flood victims.

Exhibition cricket matches by MPs for social causes are not unprecedented. In 2024, MPs played a 20-over friendly match at Delhi’s Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium to raise awareness about tuberculosis. The Lok Sabha Speaker’s XI, led by Anurag Thakur, defeated the Rajya Sabha Chairman’s XI by 73 runs, with Thakur scoring an unbeaten 111 and being named “Man of the Match.”