by Sumit Gangopadhyay

India's oldest cricketer, cricket statistician and historian Vasant Raiji passed away on 13 June 2020.
On 26 January this year, he had completed his century on earth.
It is indeed a many-faceted loss for the cricket lover.

Raiji represented Bombay and Baroda in the Ranji Trophy. He also made it into the Hindu squad in 1941-42, but did not get to play.
Interestingly, that very season another player who played for the Hindus was Anandji Dossa. Dossa, of course, became a cricket historian as well and lived till 98. Which augurs well for all current day and aspiring cricket historians and statisticians.

It was from his books that I, and I am sure many more like me, found out about a cricketer named Laxmidas Purshottamdas Jai.
He saw Indian captains from CK Nayudu to Virat Kohli. He saw Lala Amarnat score the first century for India and Virender Sehwag get the first triple. He watched the Quadrangular, the Kanga League and later the IPL. He saw cricketers from DB Deodhar to Shikhar Dhawan, from Rustomji Jamshedji to Yajuvendra Chahal .
He saw the entire careers from debut to retirement of great cricketers from Vijay Merchant to Sachin Tendulkar. He saw India bowled out for 42 and pile up 700. And he also saw Test cricket stumped by Corona Virus.
He passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Here are the books penned by Raiji.
(1) Ranji: The Legend & The Man (1963)
(2) Duleep: The Man and His Game (co-edited; 1963)
(3) Victor Trumper: The Beau Ideal of a Cricketer (edited; 1964)
(4) Ranji: A Centenary Album (edited; 1972)
(5) LP Jai: Memories of a Great Batsman (ed.) (1976)
(6) The Romance of Ranji Trophy (1984)
(7) India's Humbledon Men (1986)
(8) CCI and the Brabourne Stadium 1937-1987 (with Anandaji Dossa) (1987)
(9) CK Nayudu: The Shahenshah of Indian Cricket (1989)
(10) Duleep: A Centenary Tribute (2005)
(11) From Presidency to Pentangular (with Mohandas Menon) (2006)
(12) Cricket Memories: Men and Matches of Bygone Days (2010)