Keki Tarapore

Keki Khurshedji Tarapore (17 December 1910 – 15 June 1986) was an Indian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1948, and a cricket administrator.

Tarapore studied at Harda New High School and Elphinstone College, Bombay and captained both.

He completed a degree in B.A. Started his first class career in 1937 for Parsees and Bombay.

A left arm spinner, he was noted for his accuracy.

He was reputed to be able to keep even C. K. Nayudu quiet.

Tarapore played as the understudy to Vinoo Mankad, the first of the three or four such left arm spinners, against West Indies in 1948–49.

His short international career was thus described by Sujit Mukherjee:

While fielding at deep extra cover on the second day in this match, Tarapore injured his fingers while trying to stop a four hit by Robert Christiani off Vinoo Mankad.

He had to leave the field, and when he came back, the crowd barracked him every time he touched the ball.

Four months after his only Test, Tarapore played his last first class match – the Ranji final between Bombay and Baroda – where he bowled 99 overs.

Tarapore later went into cricket administration.

He served as the secretary of Cricket Club of India from 1954 to 1982.

He managed the Indian teams to England in 1967 and West Indies in 1970–71.

Marylebone Cricket Club elected him as an honorary member in 1974.

Kapil Dev credited Tarapore with inspiring him with a remark when he was a teenager attending an under-19 coaching camp.

When Kapil complained that the two chapatis given to him for lunch was insufficient as he was a fast bowler, Tarapore laughed at him and said that there were no fast bowlers in India.

After he became a successful Test cricketer, Kapil sought Tarapore out at a function for giving him "a goal in life by almost challenging me to bowl fast".

Tarapore died in the Ruby Nursing Home in Pune after being knocked down by a moped.