Apoorva Sengupta (1939–2013) was an Indian first-class cricketer and an officer of the Indian Army. A right-handed batsman, he represented Bengal and the Services in domestic cricket in India during the late 1950s and 1960s, and later played a role in the administration and promotion of the game within the armed forces.
| Full name | Apoorva Sengupta |
|---|---|
| Born | 1939 |
| Died | 2013 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Batsman |
| Domestic teams | Bengal, Services |
| Profession | Cricketer; Indian Army officer |
Sengupta belonged to the generation of Indian cricketers who combined a military career with competitive first-class cricket, a route that was common in the decades following independence. The Services cricket team, which represented the three branches of the Indian armed forces in the Ranji Trophy, regularly drew on serving officers of his generation, and Sengupta was among the players associated with this tradition.
Sengupta played in the Ranji Trophy, India's premier first-class domestic competition, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He turned out for Bengal, the state side based in Kolkata, as well as for the Services side. As a top-order batsman, he was active in domestic cricket in an era dominated by figures such as Pankaj Roy, Chandu Borde, and the Nawab of Pataudi Jr.
Alongside his sporting career, Sengupta served as an officer in the Indian Army. Service cricket in India during this period was closely tied to regimental and command-level tournaments, and officers who reached first-class standard were typically released for Ranji Trophy duties through the Services Sports Control Board.
Sengupta is remembered as a representative figure of the Services–Bengal cricketing axis of the 1960s, and as an example of the long-standing relationship between the Indian Army and competitive cricket in India. His career illustrates how domestic Indian cricket in the pre-television era relied heavily on players drawn from public-sector employers, the railways, and the armed forces.