Padmakar Shivalkar is a former Indian first-class cricketer best known as a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler who represented Bombay (now Mumbai) in the Ranji Trophy from the 1960s through the 1980s. He is widely regarded as one of the finest Indian spinners of his era never to have played Test cricket, a distinction often attributed to the simultaneous presence of Bishan Singh Bedi in the national side.
| Full name | Padmakar Krishnarao Shivalkar |
|---|---|
| Role | Slow left-arm orthodox bowler |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Domestic team | Bombay (Mumbai) |
| Format | First-class cricket |
| Era | 1960s–1980s |
| Notable honour | BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award (C. K. Nayudu Award) |
Shivalkar emerged from the rich club cricket culture of Bombay, where he honed his craft on the city's turf and matting wickets. He developed a reputation for accuracy, subtle variations of flight and pace, and the ability to extract turn from unhelpful surfaces—qualities that aligned him with the classical traditions of Indian left-arm spin.
Shivalkar was a central figure in Bombay's dominance of the Ranji Trophy during one of the longest title-winning streaks in Indian domestic cricket. Bowling in tandem with off-spinner Rajinder Goel's contemporaries and alongside Bombay batsmen such as Sunil Gavaskar, Ashok Mankad and Dilip Vengsarkar, he repeatedly took wickets in bulk in the knockout stages of the competition.
His most celebrated performance came in the 1972–73 Ranji Trophy final against Tamil Nadu at the Brabourne Stadium, where his match haul on a turning track is regarded as among the finest spin-bowling displays in the history of the tournament.
Shivalkar relied on a tight line, an unhurried rhythm, and a probing length rather than big spin or pace variation. His ability to bowl long, economical spells made him a captain's bowler in domestic cricket. Together with Haryana's Rajinder Goel, he is frequently cited in discussions about Indian cricketers who were denied Test caps because of the depth of spin talent in the country during the 1970s, a period dominated by the famed quartet of Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan.
In recognition of his long and distinguished domestic career, Shivalkar was conferred the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award (the C. K. Nayudu Award) by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The honour is presented to former cricketers for their outstanding contribution to Indian cricket, and in his case it was widely seen as overdue acknowledgement of a career largely confined to the domestic arena.
Shivalkar is remembered as an exemplar of the Bombay school of cricket—built on discipline, longevity, and unflagging consistency. His name is often invoked when listing Indian first-class cricketers whose statistical records and reputation suggest they were of international standard, even though circumstances kept them out of the national team.