Published: Jul 30, 2015, 13:34 IST    Updated: Jul 30, 2015, 13:44 IST

Meet India's First Deaf And Mute Cricketer 'Baba Panther': The Inspiration Behind The Movie 'Iqbal'

Meet India’s First Deaf

Baba ‘Panther’ Sidhaye a.k.a Yashwant Prabhakar, was the very first deaf and mute cricketer who died fighting for recognition and reward for the various records he held. Coming from a very moderate family, he earned anything between Rs. 8 to Rs. 15 in the most high profile of matches at the time.

Sidhaye was one of the most respected cricketers in the Ranji Trophy known for his sharp reflexes and acrobatics in the field. He was the original batting maestro, hitting sixers at will and demolishing the bowling attacks without even proper head-gear. Once he hit a six so high and long that it ended up in the Arabian Sea; a feat that has never been repeated since.

© Twitter

Nagesh Kukunoor’s film ‘Iqbal’ was loosely based on the true story of Yashwant Prabhakar but neither his family nor him were given any recognition for being the inspiration for the movie. He has three world records to his name one of which has been authenticated by the Limca Book of Records.

It could be said that Baba Sidhaye was born in the wrong decade at a time when TV sets were not available easily in India as he played out his entire career to break through the national team in the shadows of other great players.

He played 42 Ranji matches for Maharashtra, Mumbai and Railways from 1952 to 1968 scoring 10-15 sixes in many matches. Such was the prowess of this man on the field that he accounted for huge wickets through his razor sharp fielding. That is the main reason he was acknowledged as a ‘Panther’ among his colleagues. He was also an occasional leg spinner and took 10 wickets in his career.

© Twitter

Though he never got a chance to play for India, he did represent his state and division side against the touring sides of New Zealand and Australia. After retiring from cricket, Sidhaye was intensely involved in coaching at the grass root level and his find Balwinder Singh Sandhu represented India in the epic win in 1983 World Cup.

Baba Panther Sindhaye at the very least deserves an Arjuna Award from the government of India because he dedicated 57 years of his life preparing young cricketing minds for the rigors of international cricket. He must also be given due credit for the movie ‘Iqbal’ which is based on his real life story.

© Twitter

The BCCI, which spends hundreds of crores on making events like the Pepsi IPL a worldwide extravaganza, can at least do this much for the first deaf and mute cricketer of the country because Yashwant Prabhakar not only deserves all the credit for his astonishing records, but he also needs to be recognized by the nation for being a standout player despite his limitations.

Photo: © Twitter (Main Image)