Babaji Palwankar Shivram (6 March 1878 – 28 December 1941) was an Indian

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

er who was one of the most successful players for the

Hindus cricket team The Hindus cricket team was an Indian first-class cricket team which took part in the annual Bombay tournament. The team was founded by members of the Hindu community in Bombay. The Hindus joined the Bombay tournament in 1906, when they chal ...

in the

Bombay Quadrangular The Bombay Quadrangular was an influential cricket tournament held in Bombay, British India between 1892–93 and 1945–46. At other times it was known variously as the Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, and the Bombay Pentangular. Presidency ...

competition.

Early years

Babaji Palwankar Shivram was born on 6 March 1878 in the city of

Bhuj Bhuj () is a Municipality and District Headquarters of Kutch District in the state of Gujarat, India. Etymology According to legend, Kutch was ruled by the Nāga chieftains in the past. Sagai, a queen of Sheshapattana, who was married to Kin ...

, in the modern Indian state of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...

in a

Chamar Chamar is a Dalit community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of affirmative action. Historically subject to untouchability, they were traditionally outside the Hindu ritual ranking system of castes known as varna. ...

Family Completing his schooling in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

(then Bombay), Shivram obtained employment with the Greater Indian Peninsular Railways. He was the brother of cricketer and social leader

Palwankar Baloo Palwankar Baloo was an Indian cricketer and political activist. In 1896, he was selected by Parmanandas Jivandas Hindu Gymkhana and played in the Bombay Quadrangular tournaments. He was employed by the Bombay Berar and Central Indian Railways, a ...

and Palwankar Vithal, who was appointed a captain of the

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

team.

Cricket career

Shivram joined his elder brother Palwankar Baloo in playing first-class cricket in 1905, soon becoming one of the most famous sportsmen of the time, breaking caste barriers to excel in what was considered a sport of the upper classes and the British.Dilip M. Menon, ''Cultural History of Modern India'', chapter: ''The Heroic Struggles of the Palwankar Brothers''. pgs 1-32. 2007, Bergahn Books. He became one of the few so-called lower caste persons ever chosen to play for the Hindus team in the Bombay Quadrangular competition, the most prominent and popular cricket contest in India at the time. Mainly an off-break

spin bowler Spin bowling is a bowling technique in cricket, in which the ball is delivered slowly but with the potential to deviate sharply after bouncing. The bowler is referred to as a spinner. Purpose The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricke ...

, Shivram also developed as a valuable batsman, becoming an

all rounder An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a handful of batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are cons ...

and was chosen along with Baloo to play for the All-

India cricket team The India men's national cricket team, also known as Team India or the Men in Blue, represents India in men's international cricket. It is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and is a Full Member of the Internatio ...

slated to tour

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

in 1911. After his elder brother's retirement, Shivram and his younger brother Vithal became the most senior players in the Hindus team. In 1920, Shivram, Vithal and several other players protested the appointment of a

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

, D. B. Deodhar, as captain following the illness of the incumbent, M. D. Pai; with Baloo being dropped, most considered Shivram and Vithal to be the most senior players and leading candidates for the job. Critics attributed Deodhar's appointment to caste discrimination, and both Palwankar brothers, along with other rank-and-file cricketers withdrew from the team after publishing a letter making their protest public and criticising the selection committee for the "unsportsmanlike" decision. Supporters, rallied by the ongoing campaign against untouchability led by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, Anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure ...

and other political leaders, raised money for the Palwankar brothers and petitioned for their inclusion in the team. When the recovered Pai returned to captaincy, both brothers were reinstated and Baloo selected to join the team as well. The brothers protested again when they were by-passed for the captaincy for the 1922 competition that was held in

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

. Despite advancing age, Shivram continued to play for the Hindus under his younger brother Vithal, who had made history in 1923 by becoming a captain of the Hindus. Shivram finally retired at the end of the 1924–25 season. He died in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the '' de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the sec ...

on 28 December 1941.Cricket Archive
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Statistics

*First-Class Career Batting and Fielding (1904/05-1924/25) - Matches: 39 - Innings: 67 - Not Out: 7 - Runs: 1130 - Highest Score: 113* - Batting Average: 18.83 - 100s: 1 - 50s: 4 - Catches: 18 *First-Class Career Bowling (1908/09-1924/25) - Balls: 2687 - Maiden overs: 85 - Runs: 1090 - Wickets: 53 - Best Bowling Figures: 4-31 - Bowling Average: 20.56 - Strike rate: 50.69 - Economy rate: 2.43

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shivram, Palwankar Indian cricketers Hindus cricketers Cricketers from Maharashtra People from Bhuj 1878 births 1941 deaths Members of the first Indian cricket team to tour England in 1911