Ever since its inception in 1868, the Tata Group has been at the forefront in shaping Indian lives and has galvanized itself as an ambassador of trust and loyalty. But perhaps what is unknown to many is how Tata's growth coincided with the growth of cricket in India. When the Indians were enthusiastically embracing the colonial game, the responsibility of making cricket sustainable and helping the natives gain proficiency was to be shared by the people of influence and wealth. This is how the Tata's and cricket found each other.
Unlike in the West, cricket in India started as an urban-centric activity, with major port cities emerging as the cricket hubs. The Parsees of Bombay were the first Indian community to start playing the game. Parsi cricket had made rapid strides in the 1850's and adopted the culture of sports clubs. The Young Zoroastrian Club, which was established in 1850, was the second Parsi club and was financially backed by the likes of Tata's and Wadia's.
Jamsetji Tata was aghast seeing the racial prejudices meted out to the Indians and actively supported the development of many such local clubs to provide better facilities and increased opportunities to the emerging talent. Along with his elder son Dorabji, he played a formative role in establishing the Parsi Gymkhana in Bombay, which not only became the bastion of Parsi cricket but also set the template for other cricket clubs in India.
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When attempts were being made to send an All-India team for a cricket tour to Britain in 1904, Jamsetji Tata stepped forward as one of the leading contributors of the guarantee fund. Moreover, Dorabji Tata played a crucial role as a member of the organizing committee. The ambitious project, however, could not reach its desired conclusion and had to be abandoned. Jamsetji’s legacy and vision was carried forward by his two sons - Dorabji and Ratanji.
The Tata brothers, just like their father, took keen interest in promoting sports among the natives. When the project to send an All-India team was revived in 1909, they were a part of the ‘Indian Cricket team for England Committee’, and backed the tour with all their might. Ratan Tata’s office at Navsari Building in Bombay became the home for the committee meetings. In addition to the financial support, both of them were actively involved with the committee proceedings to ensure that the historic project sailed through comfortably.
Dorabji, in particular, explored his passion for sports in his time at Cambridge University. Out of the many sports that he participated in (athletics, football, rowing etc.), cricket took first preference. Even after his return to India. He would regularly play cricket matches in Bombay and once even captained a team of ‘Cricket XI’ in a match against the Parsi Gymkhana. Such was his admiration for the game that he once averred that,
I would much rather be the president of the Marylebone Cricket Club than be the viceroy of India.
Dorabaji’s contribution went beyond the cricket field as he laid the foundation for India to enter the Olympics in 1920. In 1937, the Tata Sports Club was set up and grew under the visionary leadership of JRD Tata. The club has been instrumental in redefining the landscape of domestic and international cricket, having represented players such as Nari Contractor, Ravi Shastri, Sourav Ganguly and Milind Rege amongst many. The Tata family’s long and fruitful association with cricket has had a significant impact on the development of the game in India, one that continues to prosper.
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