Unfortunately the pre-independence era of Indian cricket was marred by the inter-empirical struggles between the Maharajahs and Princes of the day. As a result many of them appeared for the team undeservedly during this time.
However, this man may have been one of the few to actually merit his inclusion in the national side, I am referring to the imposing 6' 5 frame of Yadavindrasingh aka Yuvraj of Patiala.
In his only test match, he scored 24 in the first innings and then in the next, he put on a partnership of 84 in less than an hour with another youngster by the name of Vijay Merchant. He was eventually caught behind off the bowling of Hedley Verity who ran rampant in this match but not before he top-scored with 60 runs.
He was noted in Wisden for his "cutting and driving" in this game while Mihir Bose wrote in his book A History of Indian Cricket that he used "his reach and height to play the spinners".
The latter also made the bold statement in another book, The Magic of Indian Cricket: Cricket and Society in India, that Yadavindrasingh was "probably one of the finest cricketers to play for India — albeit in unofficial Tests — and he had some relish for the cricketing intrigues so intrinsically part of Indian cricket that he might well have been the captain of the ill-fated 1936 tour. A tall, hard-hitting batsman, the Yuvraj seemed to combine both the batting dash associated with cricketing princes…and the chivalry which is the hallmark of any prince."
His lack of appearances thereafter might have had something to do with the increasing influence of the Maharajah of Vizianagram who had a long and bitter history with Yadavindrasingh's father, the Maharajah of Patiala, who took first dibs over Vizzy on donating the trophy that would from then on be awarded to the winners of India's premier first-class competition. But hey this is just a working theory who knows...it might have been for more sporting reasons.
Besides, state business was also on the Yuvraj's mind, he had also previously been invited to tour England in 1932 but declined for this very reason, and in 1938 after the passing of his father he became the new Maharajah.
1.
John Rutherford
2.
Andy Ganteaume
3.
4.
Vic Stollmeyer
5.
Frank Penn
6.
Yuvraj of Patiala
7.
John Hastings
8.
Len Johnson
9.
Arnold Warren
10.
Douglas Carr
11.
Charles Marriott