Fifty years ago this year, Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy for the first time and changed the face of Indian cricket, leading to the game spreading faster and wider. They loosened Mumbai’s grip on the trophy and paved the way for Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Railways, U.P., Rajasthan, Gujarat, all of whom won their inaugural titles in the years following.
Mumbai had been champions for 15 consecutive years when Karnataka beat them (on first innings lead) in a semifinal at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. They then beat Rajasthan in the final by 185 runs.
“At the start of the season, we practised as the Mysore team; by the time we played our first match, we were Karnataka,” recalled Bhagwat Chandrasekhar who played a crucial role in the success.
