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Vinoo Mankad
विनू मांकड
The all-round genius of Indian cricket — the man of the 1952 double
Years
1917 – 1978
Known as
Mulvantrai Himmatlal Mankad — the cricketer
Birthplace
Jamnagar, Gujarat
Field
Sporting Legends
“The all-rounder serves the team in every way — bat, ball, and heart.”
— The spirit of Vinoo Mankad
The Story
Born in 1917 in Jamnagar, Mankad was a natural all-rounder — a batsman of elegance and a slow bowler of genius — who entered the Indian team in its early Test years. His performances in England in 1946 and his great innings made him one of the most respected cricketers of the world.
In 1952, at Lord's, he played one of the great innings of cricket — scoring 72 and 184 in the same Test — and later that year he became the first Indian to score a double century in a Test, against New Zealand. His all-round performances, with bat and ball, carried the Indian side through its most difficult years.
He died in 1978, honoured as one of the greatest all-rounders of cricket. His name is remembered in the game itself — the 'Mankad' dismissal bears his name — and his life remains one of the golden chapters of Indian cricket.
Core Ideas
The 1952 Double
The first Indian double century in a Test.
The All-Rounder
Batting and bowling of the highest class.
The Lord's Innings
His 72 and 184 at Lord's in 1952.
The Mankad
The dismissal in cricket that bears his name.
The Giant
One of the greatest players of the game.
Why it matters today
Vinoo Mankad is honoured as one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket — the man of the 1952 double century whose genius carried the Indian team in its early years. His name lives in the game itself, and his life remains one of the golden chapters of Indian cricket.