KC Ibrahim had one of the most outstanding Test debuts in the history of Indian cricket. After West Indies amassed 631 at Kotla in 1948-49, Ibrahim strode out, scored 85 and helping India reach 454. India followed-on, and once again Ibrahim stormed the weather, top-scoring with 44 as India saved the Test.
Unfortunately, that was all the success he tasted. He scored a mere 40 in the next 6 innings (25 of them in one outing), and was dropped for good. His Test numbers read a mere 169 at 21.
This, however, was in stark contrast with his incredible First-Class career, where he scored 4,716 runs at an incredible 61. If one puts a 50-innings cut-off, Ibrahim ranks 8th in the history of the sport.
In Ranji Trophy his appetite for runs knew no bounds: his 2,329 runs came at 67. He was the leading run-scorer in two separate Ranji Trophy seasons (1941-42 and 1947-48). In the second season he amassed 1,171 runs at 167. It was also the season where he set a world record that still stands.
In an amazing run that lasted less than a month, Ibrahim scored 218*, 36*, 234*, 77*, and 144. In other words, he amassed 709 runs between dismissals. Three other men have crossed the 600-mark, but no one has gone past 645. Still not content, he scored 159, 79, 89, 34, 49, 52, 85, and 44 in his next eight innings. It was as consistent a run First-Class cricket has seen.
It was not only about consistency. He also had a penchant for humongous scores. For example, he scored 14 First-Class hundreds, of which there was a 250 and three unbeaten double-hundreds.
Ibrahim’s most famous innings came in the Bombay Pentangular match against Hindus in 1944-45. Muslims needed to chase down 298, and Ibrahim, opening batting, remained unbeaten till the end to ensure a 1-wicket win. The Hindus attack consisted of Shute Banerjee, Dattu Phadkar, CS Nayudu, Chandu Sarwate, and Vinoo Mankad.
Ibrahim led Bombay to Ranji Trophy final in 1947-48 almost single-handedly. The following year was poor by his standards (771 runs at 45), but he captained Bombay to the Ranji title.
When the Commonwealth XI came along the following season, Ibrahim scored 128 and 5 from two innings. He married a relative of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, moved to Pakistan, and never played First-Class cricket again. He was only 31.
Years before that, however, Ibrahim was an outstanding student who wanted to become a mathematician. Then cricket took over, as did his day job as an income tax officer.
Ibrahim later ran his own business of importing piece goods. He passed away at 88, and was the oldest living Indian cricketer at that time.
Abhishek Mukherjee
Career | M | In | R | NO | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
Test | 4 | 8 | 169 | 0 | 85 | 21.12 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 9 | -- | -- | -- |
ODIs | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
T20s | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
World Cup | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Career | M | B | R | W | Avg | EC | SR | 5WI | 10WM | BBI | BBM |
Test | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
ODIs | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
T20s | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
World Cup | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Test Debut
India v West Indies at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, November 10, 1948
Last Test
India v West Indies at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, February 4, 1949
KC Ibrahim scored runs with relentless consistency for over a decade in domestic cricket eventually attaining an astounding average of ...
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