NEW DELHI: USA cricketers with an India connection have enjoyed a terrific run in the ongoing T20 World Cup. But not many know that in the early years of the 20th century, a Parsi cricketer from Surat was one of the most lethal spin bowlers in southern California. He was MJ Bhumgara, a rich businessman who became a star for the Los Angeles Cricket Club.
The city's premier newspaper, The Los Angeles Times, wrote a glowing profile of the cricketer in its Sept 22, 1907 edition. Describing him as a proficient "twirler," the article said that the "East Indian" also played in New York, St Louis, Portland and San Francisco. He was described as "popular and enthusiastic," and "a personal friend of Ranjitsinghi (sic)."
