12 August,2025 08:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashish Raje
Not a pigeon-feeding spot...
The Dr HD Kanga League, a cricket competition unique to Mumbai, has honed many a champion owing to the fact that it is played under challenging monsoon conditions across the city's many maidans. While earlier, stalwarts of the game unfailingly made time for the competition, very few among the new crop think it worthy of their time. On Sunday, though, India Test cricketer Sarfaraz Khan lent star value to the competition, representing Parkophene Cricketers against Islam Gymkhana. Here are some visuals shot by photog Ashish Raje of a prestigious, yet undervalued league, played here at the Cross Maidan.
The Kanga League
The Dr HD Kanga Cricket League started in 1948; the primary objective being to enable batsmen cope better with wet conditions that some of them experienced on their tours to England.
Along with the competitive edge came the fun of it all. And there was no shortage of stars. Polly Umrigar and Nari Contractor figured in Parsi Cyclists line-ups, Subhash Gupte played for Dadar Union and Sunder CC, while in later years, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar were as attached to Dadar Union as Ajit Wadekar was to Shivaji Park Gymkhana.
Where did the ball go?
In fact, Vengsarkar played the âA' division for only one club throughout his career - Dadar Union. Madhav Apte, another India and Mumbai stalwart, played for Jolly Cricketers even after the age of 60.
Everyone's watching...
Sachin Tendulkar famously played for the Cricket Club India as a 15-year-old; his mate Vinod Kambli, too, making it in the CCI XI. Rohit Sharma has played the Kanga League as well. It would be safe to say that all of Mumbai's cricket stars - past or present - have had their share of Kanga League cricket.
