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Anandji Dossa

Overview

Anandji Dossa (1916–2014) was an Indian cricket statistician and historian, widely regarded as one of the earliest and most respected scorers and record-keepers of the game in India. Over a career spanning several decades, he served as a statistician for All India Radio, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and various international broadcasters covering matches in India.

Key facts

Full name Anandji Dossa
Born 1916
Died 2014
Nationality Indian
Known for Cricket statistics, scoring and record-keeping
Associated with All India Radio, BCCI, Cricket Club of India

Background

Dossa belonged to a generation of cricket enthusiasts in Bombay (now Mumbai) who developed a deep interest in the statistical and archival side of the game during the pre-independence era. Mumbai, as the historical centre of Indian cricket administration and journalism, provided the setting in which he built his reputation. He was associated for many years with the Cricket Club of India (CCI) at the Brabourne Stadium, a hub of cricketing activity in the city.

Career

Dossa worked as a statistician on radio commentary panels in an era when ball-by-ball broadcasts on All India Radio were the principal means by which Indians followed Test cricket. He provided scorers' notes, historical context and records to commentators, and his work supported successive generations of broadcasters covering Indian cricket.

He also served the BCCI in a statistical capacity and was consulted by journalists, almanac editors and authors writing on Indian cricket history. His meticulous record books, maintained by hand, were a recognised reference source for matches played in India over much of the twentieth century.

Significance

In an age before computerised databases, statisticians such as Dossa preserved the documentary memory of Indian cricket, recording domestic and international fixtures, individual performances and team records. His longevity in the role meant that he witnessed and chronicled Indian cricket from the early Ranji Trophy years through the post-independence Test era and into the limited-overs and contemporary periods.

References