Watch: When India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru batted with Opposition leader and stopped boundary in a cricket match

India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru once traded Parliament for the cricket field in 1953, leading a team of MPs in an exhibition match aimed at raising funds for flood relief. Rare footage of the match, now resurfaced, shows Nehru batting, fielding, and even chasing the ball to the boundary line as a large crowd watched the leaders play for a cause.

Jawaharlal Nehru: Rare footage resurfaces from a forgotten game

The footage was shared on X by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who credited a cricket archivist for bringing the visuals back into public view. The match pitched a Parliamentarians’ XI led by Nehru against a team captained by then vice president S Radhakrishnan. The two-day game drew senior political leaders and spectators to the ground.

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“For the past nine years, Jai Galgali has been an extraordinary archivist of Indian cricket of a bygone era. This video he unearthed and uploaded is both unusual and fabulous,” Ramesh said in his post.

At the time, Nehru was just two months away from turning 64. After winning the toss, he chose to bat as MPs walked out dressed in traditional cricket whites.

Nehru bats with the Opposition leader

One of the striking moments in the footage shows Nehru batting alongside A K Gopalan, who was then the leader of the Opposition. The pairing offered a rare sight of political rivals sharing the crease during the second innings of the match.

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Nehru’s team declared their first innings at 220 for three. The Vice President’s XI replied with 86 for two by the end of the first day. As play resumed on the second day, the commentator remarked that “cricket knows no politics” as MPs returned to the field.

PM seen stopping a boundary while fielding

The footage also captures Nehru actively fielding. In one sequence, he runs towards the boundary line to stop a delivery from reaching the rope, preventing a four. He is seen taking close-in fielding positions, staying involved throughout the match.

During the second innings, Nehru came out to bat again, with the commentator noting that he was wielding the bat after 40 years. The Vice President’s XI declared their first innings at 231 for six, while Nehru’s side declared at 160 for three in their second innings.

Match played for flood relief

Beyond the cricket, the match focused on relief work. Nehru and Radhakrishnan appealed to spectators for generous contributions to help flood-affected people. The game ended in a draw, but the fundraising continued even after play stopped.

Nehru later took on the role of an auctioneer to raise more money. Nearly Rs 1 lakh was collected through the exhibition match for flood relief.

A tradition that lives on

Exhibition matches by parliamentarians have continued over the years for social causes. In 2024, MPs played a friendly 20-over match at Delhi’s Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium to raise awareness against tuberculosis.

The Lok Sabha Speaker XI, led by Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur, defeated the Rajya Sabha Chairman XI by 73 runs. Thakur was named ‘man of the match’ for his unbeaten 111 runs.

The 1953 footage offers a rare glimpse of a time when India’s top leaders used cricket not just for sport, but to serve the public beyond politics.

(Inputs from PTI)