Bal Pandit
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bal Jagannath Pandit[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
24 July 1929 Pune, Maharashtra, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died |
17 September 2015 (aged 86) Pune, Maharashtra, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting style | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1959–1960 | Maharashtra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Cricinfo, 2 October 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bal Jagannath Pandit (24 July 1929 – 17 September 2015) was an Indian cricketer.
Early life
He was a right-handed batsman who played for Maharashtra. He was born in Poona.[2]
Playing career
Pandit made his cricketing debut in the Rohinton Baria Trophy, in which he played for Poona University for two seasons between 1951 and 1953. He made a single first-class appearance, during the 1959-60 season, representing Maharashtra against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy. In the only innings in which he batted, he scored 25 runs.[3]
Later career
Being a law graduate, Pandit was one among the pioneers in Marathi cricket commentary and was commissioned by All India Radio for many decades. He was very fluent in Marathi commentary and was aired on All India Radio when there was no Television in Maharashtra. He was said to be the first known voice of cricket commentary in Marathi. Known for his additions in the Marathi dictionary of cricket commentary, Pandit was remembered by his fans for a stint of over four decades on All India Radio. His alternative words in Marathi, such as ‘aapat-baar’ for a bouncer ball, received wide popularity. He also performed commentary in English for a short period. Being a first-class cricketer himself, Pandit’s commentary was clinical. He was known for focusing on the scope of improvement in a player in his commentary. His achievements in live commentary for 40 years was also noticed by the Limca Book of World Records
Bal Pandit was the secretary of Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in the mid-1980s. He played a vital role in the selection committee of the organisation.[4]
Books
Pandit was also a prolific cricket writer and wrote 35 books. He authored several columns in newspapers and magazines, striking a chord with common people and enhancing their knowledge with illustrations. His translation of Sunil Gavaskar’s book Sunny Days in Marathi became immensely popular. He authored a number of books in Marathi.[5]
- Sunny Days (translation in Marathi)
- The Little Master
- Prakrami Daura
Awards
The Maharashtra government recognized him with the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports award in 1978.
Death
Bal Pandit died due to prolonged illness on the night of 17 September 2015.[6] [7] [8]
References
- ↑ Bal Jagannath Pandit
- ↑ Bal Pandit
- ↑ Bal Pandit
- ↑ His achievements in live commentary for 40 years was also noticed by the Limca Book Of World Records
- ↑ Veteran Marathi commentator passes away
- ↑ Veteran cricket Marathi commentator no more: ‘Bal Pandit held an unparalleled vision that helped MCA rise’
- ↑
- ↑ Veteran Marathi cricket commentator Bal Pandit passes away