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R. B. Alaganan (1925 – 11 October 2012), better known as Balu Alaganan, was an Indian
R. B. Alaganan (1925 – 11 October 2012), better known as Balu Alaganan, was an Indian cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
player, administrator and commentator. He played six first-class matches for Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and captained the team to its maiden Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy (also known as Mastercard Ranji Trophy for sponsorship reasons) is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between multiple teams representing regional and state cricket associations. Board of Control for Cr ...
title. A well-known radio commentator, he also worked in administrative roles for the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association.
Life and career
Alaganan was born in 1925 and hailed from a planting family in Bodinayakkanur. He completed his schooling atS. Thomas' College
, motto_translation = Be Thou Forever
, song = Thomian Song
, athletics = Yes
, sports = Yes
, nickname = Thora
, denomination = Anglican
, patron ...
, Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, and graduated from the Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College (MCC) is a liberal arts and sciences college in Chennai, India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. The college is affiliated to the University of Madras but functions as an autonomous institu ...
.
An all-rounder who batted in the middle-order, Alaganan represented Madras in six first-class matches between 1946 and 1955. He was the captain of the Madras team that won its maiden Ranji Trophy title in 1954–55. He retired after the season and turned to radio commentary. As a commentator he was described by ''The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' as "a lucid, to-the-point narrator, imparting to his observations the weight of experience and expertise that underlined an academic, intellectual approach."
Alaganan also worked in administrative roles after retirement. He worked as the vice-president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) from 1961 to 1986. He also became the president of Madras Cricket Club in 1967. In 1988, he became the president of TNCA and held the position until 1993. After having worked as a selector, he worked as the assistant team manager of India on its tours to New Zealand and West Indies in the 1975–76 season, with Polly Umrigar as the manager.
Alaganan also won club-level titles in golf and tennis. He was the first Indian member and Indian president of the Kodaikanal Club.
Alaganan died on 11 October 2012 at his house in Chennai. He was married and had a son and two daughters.
References
External links
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alaganan, Balu 1925 births 2012 deaths Indian cricketers Tamil Nadu cricketers Indian cricket commentators Indian cricket administrators People from Theni district Cricketers from Tamil Nadu