Apoorva Sengupta

Who is Apoorva Sengupta?

Apoorva Kumar Sengupta is a former Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1959.

A. K. Sengupta's test appearance came in the middle of a major controversy in Indian cricket. Ghulam Ahmed announced his retirement a few days before the Madras Test against the West Indies in 1958-59, and Vijay Manjrekar dropped out due to an injury. This led to a confusing situation where Jasu Patel, A. G. Kripal Singh, Manohar Hardikar and Sengupta were all considered. The captain Polly Umrigar wanted Hardikar but when the President of the BCCI insisted that he pick Patel, Umrigar resigned during the night before the match. In the end, Sengupta and Kripal singh played. Sengupta was dismissed for 1 and 8 by Wes Hall and Roy Gilchrist.

Sengupta was a 'very good allrounder, right hand opening batsman, leg-break and googly bowler and slip field'. He had made his first class debut earlier in that season against West Indies. Playing for Services, he scored 32 & 100 notout. Two months later he took 6 for 32 against Delhi on his first appearance in the Ranji Trophy. These two performances had led to the selection for the Test match. He continued to play first class cricket for ten years. His only other hundred was a 146* scored against Bombay in the 1959-60 semifinal.