Meet Anil Dalpat, First Hindu Cricketer To Play For Pakistan Cricket Team

Anil Dalpat is one of the few names who played for Pakistan cricket team despite coming from Hindu religion.

Source: Twitter

It is the 60th birthday today of former Pakistan cricketer Anil Dalpat who is also one of the two Hindu religion athletes to play for the Pakistan cricket team. Dalpat was born in Sindh and he had come from Surat and settled in Karachi years ago with his family. Anil's father Dalptal Sonwaria himself was a cricket who played club-level competitions and followed the game very closely as a fan forever.

An Australian cricketer smashed 134 runs in Lahore during a Test match in November 1959. Dalpat named his son after the Norman 0'Neil who smashed those runs - 'Anil'. (Watch: Babar Azam Hugs Shaheen Afridi At Cricketer's Wedding, Puts An End To Rumours Of Rift)

Anil made his debut in first-class cricket during the 1976-77 season but he could not make an impact in the starting days of his career.

After Wasim Bari retired from international cricket for Pakistan in 1984, Anil received his maiden call-up to the senior team to replace the first-choice wicketkeeper at the moment. He made his Test debut against England when Zaheer Abbas led the Pakistan cricket team at the National Stadium in Karachi.

In his nine Tests, he made 25 dismissals and the highest score of 52 against New Zealand at Karachi. Happy Birthday Anil Dalpat pic.twitter.com/eJqwNNwnsY

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 20, 2020

Pakistan have been part of international cricket since playing their first Test against in October 1952. But in the 69 years since then, only a handful of non-Muslim cricketers have represented Pakistan at the international level. Danish Kaneria was Pakistan’s second Hindu cricketer after his cousin Anil Dalpat. Kaneria played in 61 Tests and took 261 wickets, which is the highest by any Pakistani spinner. More than what the likes of Abdul Qadir, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed could garner.