Rustom Cooper, oldest surviving first-class cricketer, no more
Former Mumbai cricketer Rustom Sorabji Cooper, who turned 100 last December, died in his sleep at his residence here on Monday. He was the oldest surviving first-class cricketer in the world.
The right-handed batter struck a hundred in the 1944-1945 Ranji Trophy final against Holkar to help Bombay (now Mumbai) win the title | Image for representation (PTI)
Cooper, known by most as Rusi, played 22 first-class matches in a career spanning a decade. He scored 1,205 runs with three centuries and 10 fifties, at an average of 52.39. The right-handed batter struck a hundred in the 1944-1945 Ranji Trophy final against Holkar to help Bombay (now Mumbai) win the title.
Having studied at Elphinstone High School and St Xavier’s High School, Cooper began his first-class career representing the Parsees team in the 1941-1942 Bombay Pentangular Tournament. He did well that season, scoring 383 runs at an average of 76.60.
His best was yet to come, though, as he amassed 551 runs at an average of 91.83 for Bombay in the 1944-1945 Ranji season. He scored 52 and 104 in the final played at the Brabourne Stadium.
Soon after, aged 23, Cooper shifted base to England for further education and joined the London School of Economics. He played in the County Championship for Middlesex but didn’t find much success. However, he was a prolific run-scorer for Hornsey Cricket Club.
Cooper returned to India in 1954 and began his practise as a barrister. He couldn’t play competitive cricket for much longer due to a serious knee injury, but continued to feature in local tournaments and did well as a batter for the Cricket Club of India (CCI).
“Rusi was part of a group consisting 12 former cricketers, who would meet regularly on Thursday afternoons at the CCI,” said Marcus Couto, a BCCI umpire.
“The likes of TK Contractor, Vijay Merchant, Anandji Dossa, Nari Contractor, Bapu Nadkarni, Farokkh Barucha, Rusi Modi, Madhav Apte, Aravind Apte, Vasant Raiji and Madan Raiji were a part of this group. I remember that on two occasions, a young Sachin Tendulkar joined them for dessert. I would be standing there hearing old cricket stories and learning about the history of the game from them.”
