Budhi Kunderan

Budhisagar Krishnappa Kunderan() (2 October 1939 in Mulky, near Mangalore in Karnataka – 23 June 2006 in Glasgow, Scotland) was an Indian cricketer. He played as a wicket keeper for the most of his career, and was an exciting but unorthodox right-handed batsman.

Budhi Kunderan made his first appearance in first class cricket for the Cricket Club of India against the touring West Indies in 1958-59. After just two first class matches, he was picked to play Test cricket for India against Australia in the next year. Through the fifties India had wicket keepers of about the same quality in Naren Tamhane, Probir Sen and Nana Joshi. Joshi and Tamhane had already been tried when Kunderan got his chance in the third Test. Kunderan got out hit wicket on his first appearance while attempting to pull Ian Meckiff but scored 71 and 33 in his next Test.

Kunderan had already played three Test matches when he made his Ranji Trophy debut in 1960. In his first Ranji appearance, he hit 205 for Railways against Jammu and Kashmir. His second first class hundred was also scored later in the year against the same opponents in a remarkable match that Railways won without losing a wicket.

From the early sixties, Kunderan had a new competitor for the wicket keeping position in Farokh Engineer. Both played in the series against England at home and toured West Indies in 1961-62. Engineer was selected ahead of Kunderan when England again visited India in 1963-64, but he was found medically unfit on the...
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