Lala Amarnath facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lala Amarnath

Amarnath batting at Lord's in 1936
Personal information
Born	(1911-09-11)11 September 1911 Kapurthala, Punjab, British India
Died	5 August 2000(2000-08-05) (aged 88) New Delhi, India
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
International information
National side	India (1933–1955)
Test debut (cap 12)	15 December 1933 v England
Last Test	12 December 1955 v Pakistan
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 24 186 Runs scored 878 10,426 Batting average 24.38 41.37 100s/50s 1/4 31/39 Top score 118 262 Balls bowled 4,241 29,474 Wickets 45 463 Bowling average 32.91 22.98 5 wickets in innings 2 19 10 wickets in match 0 3 Best bowling 5/96 7/27 Catches/stumpings 13 96/2
Source: Lala Amarnath, 12 May 2020

Lala Amarnath (born September 11, 1911, died August 5, 2000) was a famous Indian cricketer. Many people call him the 'father of Indian cricket'. He made history by scoring India's first-ever century (100 runs) in a Test cricket match in 1933.

He was also the first captain of India's cricket team after India became independent. He led India to their first Test series win against Pakistan in 1952. Amarnath played only three Test Matches before World War II. India did not play any official Test matches during the war.

During this time, he scored about 10,000 runs in first-class cricket. This included 30 centuries against teams from Australia and England. After the war, he played 21 more Test Matches for India.

Later, he became the head of the Senior Selection Committee for the BCCI. He also worked as a cricket commentator and expert. Some of the players he helped train include Chandu Borde, M.L. Jaisimha, and Jasu Patel. His sons, Surinder and Mohinder Amarnath, also became Test players for India. His grandson, Digvijay, is also a first-class player today.

The Government of India gave him the Padma Bhushan award in 1991. This is a high civilian honor. In 1994, Amarnath received the first C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the highest award given by the BCCI to a former player.

Early Life and Cricket Beginnings

Lala Amarnath was born in a family from Kapurthala, Punjab. His talent for cricket was noticed in Lahore. A Muslim cricketing family adopted him there.

He played his first big match against England in 1933. This game took place at the Bombay Gymkhana grounds in South Bombay. Amarnath also played for the Hindus team in the Bombay Quadrangular tournament.

Besides being a great batsman, Lala Amarnath was also a bowler. He was the only bowler to get the famous cricketer Donald Bradman out by a "hit wicket". This means Bradman accidentally knocked his own wickets over with his bat or body.

Making History in Test Cricket

In 1933, the England team toured India. Lala Amarnath was the top run-scorer for India during this tour. He made history in this series by scoring the first-ever Test century by an Indian batsman. This important moment happened in Bombay.

Controversy on the 1936 Tour

In 1936, Amarnath was sent back from a tour of England. The captain, the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram, said it was because of "indiscipline." However, Amarnath and others believed it was due to politics within the team.

The Maharajkumar of Vizianagram, also known as Vizzy, became captain for the 1936 tour. Some senior players, like Lala Amarnath, C. K. Nayudu, and Vijay Merchant, did not think Vizzy was a good player or captain. This caused the team to be divided.

During a match, Lala Amarnath had a back injury. Vizzy kept sending other batsmen to play before Amarnath. This stopped Amarnath from resting his injury. When Amarnath finally got to bat, it was late in the day. He was very angry when he returned to the dressing room. He threw his kit and said something in Punjabi. Vizzy took this as an insult. He worked with the team manager to send Lala Amarnath home from the tour. This happened before Amarnath could play the first Test match.

Leading India as Captain

Lala Amarnath became the captain of the Indian team that toured Australia in 1947-1948. When India was divided in August 1947, Amarnath and his family had to leave their city to escape danger. He lived in Patiala until 1957, when he moved to Delhi.

Amarnath is respected for helping to bring players and fans from India and Pakistan closer. This was important because of political tensions between the two countries. Under his leadership, India won its first-ever Test match against Pakistan. This match was played in Delhi in 1952. India went on to win the series 2–1. Amarnath also managed the team when they toured Pakistan in 1954-55.

Family and Lasting Impact

Lala Amarnath's sons, Mohinder and Surinder, also played cricket for India. Another son, Rajinder, played first-class cricket. His grandson, Digvijay, is also a first-class player today.

Throughout his later years, Amarnath was seen as a true legend of Indian cricket. In the 2021 sports movie 83, Mohinder Amarnath played the role of his own father, Lala Amarnath. Mohinder himself was played by actor Saqib Saleem in the film.