Dilip Jajodia

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Dilip Jajodia
Born1944 (age 80–81)
NationalityIndian
OccupationBusinessman
Known forOwner of British Cricket Balls Ltd

Dilip Jajodia (born 1944) [1] [2] is an Indian-British businessman, and current owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, which manufactures the Dukes cricket ball.

Contents

Personal life

Jajodia's family are from the Marwar region of Rajasthan in north-west India. He studied at the Bishop Cotton Boys' School in Bangalore, India, and has a degree in management. In 1962, Jajodia moved with his family to England. [1] [2] He played club cricket in India and England [2] as an all-rounder. [3] Jajodia says that he "lost his edge" after suffering a mouth injury fielding at silly point. [3] Jajodia lives in north-east London, and runs the Woodford Wells Cricket Club. [4] [2] In 2019, Jajodia delivered a Gen KS Thimayya memorial lecture. [5]

Career

A Dukes cricket ball Dukes cricket ball.png
A Dukes cricket ball

In England, Jajodia worked as a Chartered Insurance Practitioner and a pension fund manager. [1] Jajodia started working in cricket ball manufacturing in 1983. [2] In 1987, Jajodia bought British Cricket Balls Ltd, the company that manufactures the Dukes cricket ball, from Gray-Nicolls. [1] [6] [2] Jajodia moved the manufacturing of Dukes cricket balls from Tunbridge Wells to Walthamstow. [2] Jajodia specifically chooses by hand the cricket balls to send to cricket venues for matches. [2] Dukes balls are used in matches in England and the West Indies. [7]

In 2017, Jajodia was in attendance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the first Sheffield Shield match to use the Dukes ball rather than the traditional Kookaburra ball. [6] After India's 2018 series in England, Jajodia said he has no plans to market the Dukes ball in India. [7] After the West Indies 2020 series in England, in which saliva could not be used to clean the cricket balls due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jajodia said that he was happy with the swing of the Dukes balls. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sonwalkar, Prasun (21 November 2013). "Dilip Jajodia: man who makes English bowlers swing". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sundaresan, Bharat (11 June 2017). "Keeping the shine of the Dukes ball". The Indian Express. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 Vasu, Anand (8 August 2018). "The Indian behind the swing, seam and spin that left India short at Edgbaston". The Print. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  4. ↑ MacPhearson, Will (20 June 2017). "If the ball is anything to go by we could be tickled pink by cricket day-nighters". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Cricket and Cottons: Dukes ball owner Dilip Jajodia talks about his Bangalore connection". The Hindu. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 Edwards, Richard (8 February 2017). "How Australian cricket has broken with history through a fear of losing the Ashes". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Ball should be made for the conditions, not vice versa: Dilip Jajodia". The Hindu. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "England vs West Indies: Dukes ball MD Dilip Jajodia happy with ball movement under 'no saliva' conditions". Inside Sport. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
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