Anand Shukla facts for kids

Anand Shukla was a talented Indian cricketer. He played first-class cricket for many teams in India. His career lasted from 1960 to 1978. He was born on January 15, 1941, and passed away on February 2, 2015.

Anand Shukla's Cricket Career Highlights

Playing for Uttar Pradesh

Anand Shukla showed great skill early in his career. In his third first-class match, he took 7 wickets for only 91 runs. This was in the 1959–60 season.

In 1961–62, he had an amazing game against Rajasthan. He took 7 wickets for 43 runs and 3 wickets for 87 runs. He also scored 168 runs without being out. He helped his team, Uttar Pradesh, go from a low score of 88 runs for 6 wickets to a strong total of 356 runs.

He was the captain of Uttar Pradesh in 1963–64 and 1964–65. In 1964–65, he played eight matches. He scored 567 runs and took 41 wickets. Uttar Pradesh reached the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy for the first time. Even though they lost, Shukla was the top scorer in both innings with 60 and 83 runs.

Playing for Delhi and North Zone

Shukla played one season for Delhi in 1965–66. He also played for North Zone in the Duleep Trophy that year.

Playing for Bihar

Shukla moved to Bihar in 1966–67 and stayed for nine seasons. In his third match for Bihar, he took 5 wickets for 14 runs and 5 wickets for 36 runs against Assam.

In 1967–68, he scored an incredible 242 runs without being out against Orissa. He also took 5 wickets for 68 runs and 3 wickets for 43 runs, helping Bihar win easily.

He captained Bihar in 1968–69. In 1969–70, he took 17 wickets and scored 101 runs without being out. He achieved his best bowling figures ever, taking 8 wickets for only 50 runs in a semi-final match.

In 1970–71, Shukla scored two centuries (scores of 100 runs or more) in the Ranji Trophy. In 1972–73, he took 7 wickets for 34 runs and 2 wickets for 36 runs against Assam. He also scored 137 runs in that match. In 1974–75, he took 5 wickets for 15 runs and 2 wickets for 26 runs against Assam again.

Returning to Uttar Pradesh

Shukla played three more seasons for Uttar Pradesh from 1975–76 to 1977–78. He scored his last century, 100 runs, in 1975–76. He also took five wickets in the first innings of that match. The next season, he took 5 wickets for 36 runs and 6 wickets for 104 runs in another game against Vidarbha.

Overall Performance in Cricket

Anand Shukla was a very important player in the Ranji Trophy. However, he found it harder to succeed in the tougher Duleep Trophy matches. He played 19 Duleep Trophy matches for different zones. In these games, he scored 552 runs and took 36 wickets.

In contrast, he had amazing success in the Ranji Trophy against weaker teams like Orissa. In nine matches against Orissa, he scored 734 runs and took 69 wickets.

Life After Playing Cricket

After his playing career, Anand Shukla became involved in cricket management. He served on the pitch committee for the Board of Control for Cricket in India. This committee helps make sure cricket grounds are in good condition for matches.

Family Connections in Cricket

Anand Shukla's younger brother, Rakesh Shukla, also played cricket. Rakesh was a batsman and a leg-spinner, just like Anand. Rakesh even played one Test match for India in 1982.