AG Kripal Singh: 12 facts to know about the former Madras stalwart

Kripal comes from a rich cricketing background and was a right-handed batsman who could bowl off-spin.

AG Kripal Singh, born on August 6, 1933, was a stalwart of Madras cricket who represented India in 14 Tests in the 1950s and 60s. Kripal comes from a rich cricketing background and was a right-handed batsman who could bowl off-spin. Though he played only 14 Tests, his story is quite interesting. Nishad Pai Vaidya picks 12 facts to know about the former Madras giant.

1.  A Sikh lineage in Chennai

Kripal’s grandfather had moved to Madras (as Chennai was then known) from Amritsar in the early 1900s. “My granddad migrated to Madras to take up a job and my dad [AG Ram Singh] was born here, so this has always been home to us,” Kripal’s brother AG Milkha Singh told ESPNcricinfo. There began the Punjabi lineage in Tamil Nadu, which lasts till date in Chennai.

2.  Adding ‘AG’ for a local flavour

The initials ‘AG’ stand for Amritsar Govindsingh. Since Tamilians add their place of origin before their name, this Sikh family decided to follow suit to add a local flavour. Kripal’s son Arjan told The New Indian Express, “The name AG was actually adopted by my great grandfather after he noticed that in Chennai, Tamilians used initials instead of surnames.”

3.  A cricketing lineage

Kripal’s father, Ram Singh, played 56 First-Class matches and was one of the leading all-rounders in the country during the initial years of the Ranji Trophy. He also played two unofficial Tests for India in the 1930s. Kripal’s brother Milkha also represented India in four Tests. Their brother Satwender Singh was a domestic stalwart. Kripal’s sons Swaran and Arjan played for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket. His daughter Malvika was also a notable cricketer on the women’s circuit.

4.  A hundred on Test debut

Kripal made his Test debut against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1955 and scored 100 not out in his first innings. That match also saw Polly Umrigar score 223, which was then the highest score by an Indian batsman in Test cricket. The hundred on debut remains Kripal only century in Test cricket as he managed only a couple of fifties in 13 other Tests.

5.  Arnold George Kripal Singh

Mid-way through his career, Kripal famously converted to Christianity for marriage. As a result, the initials ‘AG’ changed from ‘Amritsar Govindsingh’ to ‘Arnold George.’ Kripal gave up the turban and the beard after his supposed conversion.

6.  Fielding for England

During England’s 1963-64 tour to India, the visitors faced a tough time with injuries and illnesses heading into a Test match at Bombay (as Mumbai was known then). Such was the situation that Henry Blofeld, the former First-Class cricketer, who was on the tour as a journalist, was asked to be on standby in case England couldn’t field enough players. England managed to put up 11 men, but needed a substitute at times. Martin Williamson notes that Kripal was India’s 12th man in that game and allowed to help the struggling tourists. Kripal thus spent some time on the park for England as a fielder against his home country.

7.  Ending Subhash Gupte’s career

The 1961-62 home series against England saw the sad end to leggie Subhash Gupte’s career. Kripal inadvertently had a role in that. When the Indian team was in Delhi for a Test, Kripal was said to have asked a receptionist on a date. The receptionist was not amused and complained to the Indian team manager. Gupte was Kripal’s teammate in the Delhi hotel and the authorities left both men out of the squad for the next game. ESPNCricinfo records that when Gupte was told by the authorities that he should have stopped Kripal from calling the receptionist, he famously said, “He is a big man. How can I stop him?” As the authorities persisted, Gupte stood by his roommate and said, “Nothing had happened. Kripal had not raped the girl or assaulted her. He just asked her out for a drink.” Gupte was never picked to play for India again and somehow, Kripal escaped and played on for a few years.

8.  Playing a Test with the brother

The first Test between India and England at Bombay in 1961 saw both Milkha and Kripal turn-up for India. This was the only Test the two brothers played in tandem. Milkha was picked for India while he was a teenager and had played his last Test before he turned 20.

9.  Captain in the first Duleep Trophy match

The Duleep Trophy, a zonal First-Class competition, was instituted in 1961 in memory of former cricketer Duleepsinhji. The inaugural match was played between South Zone and North Zone in Chennai. Kripal captained South Zone to victory in that match, which also saw his brother Milkha score a century.

10.  235 runs and 651 balls before maiden Test wicket

Though considered mainly for his batting, Kripal was a useful off-spinner. In First-Class cricket, he has taken 177 wickets — 10 of which came in Tests. However, the wait for a Test wicket was an arduous one as he bowled 651 balls and conceded 235 runs before taking his maiden scalp, according to Australian statistician Charles Davis. It is a record for the most deliveries bowled before taking a Test wicket.

11.  Died young

Kripal died at the relatively young age of 53 in 1987 due to a heart-attack. He was an India selector at the time of his death. A year after his death, his son Arjan made his First-Class debut and scored a triple century in only his second game.

12.  One of the few cricketers who converted during Test playing days

In 2006, Ramachandra Guha wrote in the Hindu that Kripal and Mohammad Yousuf are the only two cricketers who converted their religion during their active Test playing days. Since then, Wayne Parnell has also joined the list as he switched to Islam. Thus, Kripal could well be the first Test cricketer to change his religion during his playing days.

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Mumbai-based cricket journalist and one of the youngest to cover the three major cricketing events — ICC World Cup, World T20 and under-19 World Cup. He tweets as @nishad_45)

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