Oldest First-Class Cricketer Rusi Cooper Passes Away At The Of Age 100

Former Indian first-class cricketer Rusi Cooper passed away at the age of 100 at his residence in Kemp’s Corner, South Bombay, on Monday morning. Rusi Cooper celebrated his 100th birthday on December 22 last year, becoming the longest-lived first-class player in the world.

Rusi Cooper made his first-class debut in the 1941-42 Bombay Pentangular Tournament. The right-handed batter represented Bombay in the Ranji Trophy in the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons. He also played for the Middlesex team in County cricket between 1949 and 1951.

Also read: IND vs WI: Aakash Chopra Criticises Team Management For Lack Of Clarity In Suryakumar Yadav’s Batting Position

Rusi Cooper Scored Hundred In The 1944-45 Ranji Trophy Final

Cooper played in a total of 22 First-Class matches in his cricketing career. He scored a century for the Bombay team (known as Mumbai today) against Holkar in the 1944-45 Ranji Trophy final. He scored 52 runs and 104 runs in the two innings of the final at the Brabourne Stadium.

Cooper had an impressive last First-Class season (1944-45) in India, scoring 551 runs at an average of 91.83 with two centuries and five half-centuries. At just 23, he went to the London School of Economics and later played for the Middlesex County team in 1947 alongside renowned players.

Also read: ENG vs AUS: Tim Paine Hits Back At Michael Vaughan’s ‘I’ve Never Seen Australia Play With So Much Fear’ Remark

“Rusi had a group of 12 yesteryears cricketers, and they used to meet regularly on Thursday afternoon at the Cricket Club of India. These meetings stopped after the passing away of TK Contractor.

The others were Vijay Merchant, Anandji Dossa, Nari Contractor, Bapu Nadkarni, Farokkh Barucha, Rusi Modi, Madhav Apte, Aravind Apte, Vasant Raiji, and Madan Raiji.

I remember that on a couple of occasions, Sachin Tendulkar, then a schoolboy, joined them for a dessert. I would be standing there hearing all the old cricket stories and history of the game from them,” said Marcus Couto, a BCCI umpire.

Cooper pursued studies at the London School of Economics and became a Barrister at Lincoln’s Inn. He returned to India in 1954, but he couldn’t play competitive cricket due to work commitments. However, he remained active in local tournaments. He also served as a trustee of the Bombay Port Trust for several years.

Also read: “I Have All The Things Written In My Notebook” – Rahmanullah Gurbaz Recalls His Meeting With His Idol MS Dhoni During IPL 2023