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The 'Father Of Indian Cricket' Achieved A Rare Feat In First Class Cricket On This Day In 1896

KS Ranjitsinhji playing cricket [X]KS Ranjitsinhji playing cricket [X]

KS Ranjitsinhji, known as the 'Father Of Indian Cricket' achieved a rare feat on this day back in the year 1896. He scored a century in both innings of a first class game. 

Ranjitsinhji was offered the only resilience for Sussex in the first innings

Sussex were up against Yorkshire at Hove in this game. The Yorkshire team batted first in the hame and posted a total of 407 runs. Stanley Jackson and Bobby Peel scored centuries in this innings, while John Tunnicliffe scored 99 to propel the innings of Yorkshire.

In reply to Yorkshire's formidable batting effort, Sussex failed to who resilience. All they posted in their first innings was 191. Ranjitsinhji was the only batter who showed some resilience on Sussex's part. He scored a brilliant Hundred but could not save the follow-on for his team. 

Two centuries in two innings for Ranjitsinhji

Yorkshire invited to Sussex to bat again. Sussex came up with a better reply in the second innings. The Indian batter once against led the effort of the Sussex batting and scored 125 runs. This time around they lost only two wickets and posted 260 runs on the board with the match ending in a draw. 

With these two centuries, Ranjitsinhji achieved a rare feat of scoring two centuries in both innings of a first class game. He was the first ever player of Indian origin to play cricket. The legend of Ranjitsinhji later developed in to a folklore in India and to pay homage to the pioneer of cricket in India, the country's domestic first class tournament was named after him -  The Ranji Trophy.