A clarion call by former Test all-rounder Madan Lal for all cricketers to come together marked the evening as Delhi’s Ranji Trophy-winning team of 1978-79 assembled in an emotional reunion here on Saturday.
“We are all into our mandatory overs,” he brought the house down.
“We have had our differences but it is time we buried the past to look at a healthy future for the young generation of cricketers,” Madan said in reference to the frustration caused by the officials of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
Cricketers have been repeatedly “humiliated” by the DDCA, where allegations of rampant nepotism and corruption have sullied the atmosphere for years.
Madan implored the cricketers to come under one roof to fight the “officials who have made the Ferozeshah Kotla a personal fiefdom.”
Historic win
Organised by former Delhi captain Venkat Sundaram, the reunion was a trip down the memory lane for members of the team. Led by Bishan Singh Bedi, the team had won the Ranji Trophy for the first time ever, signalling an era of North Zone’s domination in Indian cricket.
The stars of the final against Karnataka were Surinder Khanna, who hit a century in each innings; Madan, who claimed eight wickets; and the Amarnath brothers, Mohinder and Surinder, who hit a century each. Mohinder, Surinder and Arun Lal, all living outside Delhi now, were unable to attend for personal reasons.
Among those invited specially were DDCA President Arun Jaitley and veteran cricketers Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Rajinder Goel, R. Surendranath and Vinay Lamba.
The rest of the team relived those glorious moments with Bedi, Sundaram and Kirti Azad regaling the gathering with hilarious anecdotes. Among the noted cricketers present were Chetan Chauhan, Sunil Valson, Maninder Singh, Praveen Oberoi, Rakesh Shukla, Arun Khurana, Atul Wassan, Gursharan Singh and Vivek Razdan.
Members of the winning team were presented with a replica of the Ranji Trophy by Sundaram.
