The Crosscliffe Valley looks a quiet place. It was not so quiet on a Tuesday in 1915. A stray pellet from a grouse shoot hit the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar. He lost his right eye. This was a bit of a problem for a man who was reputed to be one of the greatest cricketers in the world. This the little rabbit hole I found myself going down a few years ago.
Ranjitsinhji, or Ranjit , was born in India in 1872, the son of a farmer. He went to Cambridge but liked cricket more than books. An unorthodox player, he invented the leg glance—whatever that is—I have no interest in cricket. Apparently, it confused the bowlers. He was a wizard.
Crowds in Sussex thought Ranjit had a magic wand. But he spent too much money and found himself on a bit of a sticky wicket with his debts.
He became the ruler of Nawanagar in 1907. Building roads and a port, he was considered a progressive ruler. After the accident, Ranjit could not focus on the ball properly so he turned his mind to politics. He defended the other princes against the advance of the Independence Movement. Ranjitsinhji died in 1933 after a public criticism by the Viceroy.
Sources
- “Shooting Accident To ‘Ranji.’” Leeds Mercury, 2 Sept. 1915. British Newspaper Archive.
- Wikipedia contributors. “Ranjitsinhji.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 July 2026.
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