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LEGACY · CRICKET · RANJITSINHJIRanji's Cricket
Jamnagar gave cricket one of its immortals — Ranjitsinhji, the Jam Saheb whose wristy genius dazzled England, lent his name to the Ranji Trophy, and made this princely city a cradle of the Indian game.
The prince who charmed cricket
Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji — “Ranji” — was the ruler of Nawanagar, the princely state centred on Jamnagar, and one of the most gifted batsmen the game has known. Playing for England in the 1890s, his silken, wristy stroke-play, and the leg glance he made famous, enchanted crowds and rewrote what batting could be. India’s premier domestic cricket championship, the Ranji Trophy, carries his name to this day.
From Nawanagar to the world
Ranjitsinhji was born in 1872 at Sadodar, into the Jadeja line of Nawanagar.
At Cambridge and for England he dazzled — the most original batsman cricket had seen.
From 1907 he ruled Nawanagar as Jam Saheb, a modernising prince.
India's premier domestic championship, the Ranji Trophy, is named in his honour.
Why come
Cricket cradle
Jamnagar was Ranji's home and capital — the city his reign rebuilt.
The Jam Saheb
Prince and player at once, he stands among cricket's immortals.
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy carries his name across Indian cricket.
The leg glance
The leg glance was his signature — a stroke he gave the game.
Princely city
His palaces and the Lakhota lake anchor the city he remade.
A great story
Sport and princely history meet in Jamnagar like nowhere else.
What to see
THE LEGENDRanji
Prince of batsmen.
THE CITYJamnagar
Seat of Nawanagar.
How to experience it
Trace the story
Explore Ranji's Nawanagar — the capital he rebuilt into modern Jamnagar.
See the city
See the palaces and the Ranmal lake at the city's heart.
Talk cricket
Feel the local cricket passion; the city knows whose name the trophy bears.
Know the trophy
Follow the Ranji Trophy, India's premier domestic championship.
Visit Lakhota
Visit the Lakhota fort on its island in the lake.
Feel the legacy
Take Jamnagar as a birthplace of Indian cricket's story.
A princely gift to the game
Ranji’s legacy runs deeper than one dazzling career. His nephew Duleepsinhji also starred for England — the Duleep Trophy bears his name — and the family’s patronage helped root cricket in Saurashtra. Jamnagar, with its palaces, its lakeside Lakhota fort and its cricketing pride, remembers the prince who turned a colonial pastime into an art.
See what else is nearby in our guide to Jamnagar.
Timing
October to March is the best season for touring Ranji's city and its palaces.
The domestic cricket season runs through the winter, when the Ranji Trophy is contested.
Summer is hot in Saurashtra; keep the city walking to mornings and evenings.
⏰ Explore Ranji’s Jamnagar year-round; the cooler months and the domestic cricket season are the most rewarding.
Getting there
By Air
Jamnagar Airport (~10 km).
By Rail
Jamnagar Junction.
By Road
Around the old city.
More in Jamnagar
SINCE 1964
The Endless Ram Dhun
Bala Hanuman’s non-stop chant — a Guinness world record. Explore →
CRAFT
Bandhani Tie-Dye
Thousands of tiny knots, tied by hand and dyed in brilliant colour — Jamnagar is one of the great homes of Bandhani, the tie-dye craft whose dotted patterns bloom across Gujarat’s festive cloth. Explore →
METAL
Brass Craft
Jamnagar is India’s brass city — a maze of workshops and bazaars where sheet and scrap are cut, spun and polished into everything from temple bells to the tiny components the world runs on. Explore →
HEALING
Ayurveda
Jamnagar is India’s capital of Ayurveda — home to the country’s premier institute of Ayurvedic teaching and research, where the ancient science of life is studied, taught and practised for the world. Explore →
What to eat
GHUGHRAGhughra
A Jamnagar sweet.
KACHORIKachori
Spiced and fried.
THALIKathiyawadi Thali
Saurashtra spread.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Ranji's Cricket FAQ
Who was Ranji?
Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji — Jam Saheb of Nawanagar and one of cricket's greatest early batsmen, who played for England and Sussex and changed batting itself before returning to rule his state.
What is the Ranji Trophy?
India's premier domestic first-class championship, contested by the states since 1934 and named in Ranjitsinhji's honour.
What was he famous for?
His elegant, wristy batting and above all the leg glance — a stroke he popularised and which redefined what batting could be.
What is the Jamnagar connection?
Ranji was the Jam Saheb — the ruling prince — of Nawanagar, the state centred on Jamnagar, which he modernised extensively during his reign.
Who was Duleepsinhji?
Duleepsinhji, Ranji's nephew and himself a fine England batsman; the Duleep Trophy is named for him, completing the family's unique double.
What can I see in Jamnagar?
The princely city itself — the palaces, the lakeside Lakhota fort, the solar-and-brass old town, and a cricketing pride that has never faded.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026