CONTEST ENTRY: Tell us about a player who has never played International cricket

Namaskar to all cricket lovers, Greetings from India 🇮🇳…..

This is my entry for the World of Cricket Contest Series || Contest-9

Rajinder Goel (India) – A Player who never played international cricket for India

Source Rajinder Goel in action

• Rajinder Goel was a left arm spinner from the state of Haryana, India who represented Patiala, Southern Punjab, Delhi and Haryana in domestic cricket.

• His cricketing career extended between 1958-1985.

• He never played international cricket for India, but was a part of an unofficial Test match between India and Ceylon.

• Goel holds the record for most wickets in Ranji Trophy cricket, India’s domestic F.C. cricket competition, piling up 750 wickets in just 157 matches at an average of 18.58.

• He also had 59 Five-wicket hauls and 18 Ten-wicket hauls to his name.

Stats Source

• Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar mentions Rajinder Goel as one of his idols in his book ‘Idol’. Gavaskar also says that Goel was the one bowler whom he dreaded facing in his cricketing life.

Source A young Kohli alongside Rajinder Goel and a youngster

• While cricket pundits say that Goel’s misfortune was being a contemporary of Bishan Singh Bedi, one of India’s famous ‘Spin Quartet’, but the domestic heavyweight himself said that ‘probably he was born in the wrong era’ and that he ‘doesn’t regret’ not playing for India.

• Bishan Singh Bedi recollects that ‘Goeli’ (as he was fondly called) never asked for a specific field to bowl, so he was a captain’s delight. Also Bedi added that people feel his presence kept Goel out of the Indian national team as both of them were left arm orthodox spinners. But Bedi thinks that was incorrect because Goel began his career ahead of him and ended after him.

Source Bedi (L) and Goel (R) together

• It is interesting to note here that, one Bukha Singh Yadav, a dacoit serving his jail term at Gwalior jail, wrote a letter to Goel congratulating him after he had taken 600 wickets. This speaks volumes about Goel’s domestic popularity.

• Rajinder Goel was probably unlucky to have missed out on the opportunity to play for India but he was a great ambassador of the 'Gentleman's game'.

• In 2016, Goel was awarded the Colonel C.K. Nayadu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI.

• He passed away in June, 2020.

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