On Jawaharlal Nehru’s Death Anniversary, We Remember The Time When India’s 1st PM Played Cricket With MPs [Watch Video]

In 1953, there was a time when MPs from India's both houses of parliament came together to play a charity cricket match. Jawaharlal Nehru, was the captain of the Lok Sabha MPs team. Check out the rare video below.

(File Photos/ Getty Images)

New Delhi: On the death anniversary of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, we look back at a special occasion when Nehru played cricket along with the other MPs.  In 2021, we can seldom imagine MPs from all parties and spectrums of India's polity coming together for a cause. But this wasn't the case in 1953 when India had chosen its leader for the first time. A charity cricket match was being played. 

In 1953, Jawaharlal Nehru played a charity match in Delhi. He was the captain of Lok Sabha in a match between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. 

This was 11 months after being chosen as the PM of India. Nehru had last played cricket in Harrow in 1913. The Rajya Sabha MPs scored 222/3 in which the highest score was by India's then deputy minister of defense, Baldev Singh who scored a quick century. 

Here is a rare video from that match: 

In some of the archival videos, Nehru has seen fielding at the boundary line. The commentary available of the game goes like this: “Although he is holding the willow for the first time in 40 years, Nehru plays like a seasoned player. Partnering Nehru is a senior opposition member, Gopal.”

Nehru declared the second innings at 169/3. He made a single run before declaring the innings. This match was a draw.

Jawaharlal Nehru has many aspects to his personality. He was one person who encouraged the country's sportsmen to take the sport seriously. Jawaharlal Nehru died on 27 May 1964.