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{{Short description|Indian cricket pioneer (1868–1908)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Buchi Babu Naidu
| image = BUCHI BABU " Father of South Indian Cricket ".jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name = బుచ్చిబాబు నాయుడు
| birth_name = Mothavarapu Venkata Mahipathi Naidu, మోతవరపు వెంకట మహిపతి నాయుడు
| birth_date = 
| birth_place = [[Madras]], [[Madras Presidency]]
| death_date = 19 December 1908 (aged {{c.|lk=no|40}})<ref name=":1"/>
| death_place = Madras, Madras Presidency
| other_names =
| occupation = Cricketer
| years_active =
| known_for = Father of Madras Cricket
| notable_works =
}}

'''Mothavarapu Venkata Mahipathi Naidu''' (1868–1908), popularly known as '''Buchi Babu Naidu''' was an Indian [[cricket]] pioneer in the [[British Raj|colonial era]] who organised cricket clubs for native Indians.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=9 June 2022 |title=మర్యాదస్తుల ఆటలోనూ వివక్షే... ఎదురించిన నెల్లూరువాసి! |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/telugu/telangana/bharat/azadi-ka-amrit-mothavarapu-buchi-babu-naidu-biography/na20220609080107978978739 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=[[ETV Network|ETV Bharat]] |language=te}}</ref> He is considered to be the 'Father of Madras Cricket'.<ref>Muthiah, S, ''The Spirit of Chepauk'', East West Books, 1998, p.114</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last1=Eastman |first1=Benjamin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TdfbAAAAQBAJ&dq=Buchi+Babu+Naidu&pg=PA7 |title=America's Game(s): A Critical Anthropology of Sport |last2=Ralph |first2=Michael |last3=Brown |first3=Sean |date=2007-12-12 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-80263-8 |pages=7 |language=en}}</ref> He founded the annual [[Madras Presidency Matches]], the first of which was held shortly after his death. The annual Buchi Babu Tournament is held in his honour.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ravindran |first=Siddarth |date=1 September 2013 |title=A Madras classic |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/siddarth-ravindran-traces-the-history-of-the-buchi-babu-tournament-667439 |access-date=2023-04-10 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jyotsna |date=2024-08-28 |title=బుచ్చిబాబు, ది లెజెండ్‌ క్రికెటర్‌ -మనం మర్చిన మన తెలుగు క్రికెటర్‌ |url=https://telugu.abplive.com/sports/cricket/do-you-know-who-is-known-as-the-father-of-the-south-indian-cricket-team-177372 |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=[[ABP Desam]] |language=te}}</ref> Two of Naidu's sons, [[M. Baliah Naidu]] and [[Cotah Ramaswami|C. Ramaswami]], played for the [[Indian national cricket team]].<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |title=Cotar Ramaswami Profile |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/cotar-ramaswami-33059 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life==
Buchi Babu Naidu was born as Mothavarapu Venkata Mahipathi Naidu (మోతవరపు వెంకట మహిపతి నాయుడు) in 1868 as the eldest of five brothers of a [[Telugu people|Telugu]] [[Balija]] family<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Lakshmi |first=C. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LnflUVu0w2QC&dq=Buchi+Babu+Naidu&pg=PA111 |title=The Unhurried City: Writings on Chennai |date=2004 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-303026-3 |pages=111 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Guha |first=Ramachandra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTq7DQAAQBAJ&q=Buchi+Babu |title=A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport |date=2016-11-24 |publisher=Random House India |isbn=978-93-5118-693-9 |language=en |author-link=Ramachandra Guha}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Guha |first=Ramachandra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WCocAAAAIAAJ&q=Buchi+Babu+Naidu |title=Wickets in the East: An Anecdotal History |date=1992 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-562809-8 |pages=121 |language=en |author-link=Ramachandra Guha}}</ref> hailing from [[Nellore]].<ref name=":1" /> He was adopted by his maternal grandfather, Mothavarapu Dera Venkataswami Naidu. His family was involved as ''dubashes'' (interpreters and middlemen in business dealings with the British) and became enormously wealthy from their business dealings.<ref name=":5" /> He inherited much of his grandfather's fortune at an early age.<ref name=":0" /> Naidu graduated from the [[Presidency College, Chennai|Presidency College]], [[Chennai|Madras]].<ref name=":1" />

== Career ==
[[File:Buchi Babu and his sporting clan.jpg|thumb|212x212px|left|Luz House built around 1850]]Naidu, who loved sports, energetically set about organising the sporting scene in Madras. Madras cricket in its formative years was dominated by the [[British people|British]].<ref name=":1" /> The Madras Cricket Club (MCC), established in 1846, was their exclusive preserve and Babu's interest in the game grew watching them play at [[Chepauk Stadium|Chepauk]].<ref name=":5" /> He used to be taken there as a child by his two [[English people|English]] nannies.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.theluzhouse.com/luz-house-venue |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=The Luz House |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> From his sprawling bungalow Luz House, located in [[Mylapore]], he worked on his game.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" />

=== Madras United Cricket Club ===
In the Madras Cricket Club, Indian players were required to sit under the tree and eat their lunch in the shade, while the European players enjoyed the comfort of the club's pavilion.<ref name=":3" /> Outraged by this, Naidu had helped found the Madras United Cricket Club (now Madras United Club or MUC), which focused on taking sport to Indians in the city.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> In 1888, he took an area near Esplanade and got it levelled. Six [[Cricket pitch|pitches]] were prepared in that ground.<ref name=":1" /> The club's founding was a landmark in the history of Madras cricket. The club's ground provided a space for locals to play. Naidu organised the matches and trained the Indian players. When necessary he provided the necessary attire and equipment for promising individuals.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Badrinath |first=Tulsi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oNMuBgAAQBAJ&dq=Buchi+Babu+Naidu&pg=PT55 |title=Madras, Chennai and the Self: Conversations with the City |date=2015-01-29 |publisher=Pan Macmillan |isbn=978-1-5098-0006-3 |language=en}}</ref> The club started playing regularly against MCC.<ref name=":0" />

=== The Presidency Match ===
Naidu's dream was to have an annual fixture where the best local players would take on the Englishmen of the MCC, which evolved into the annual Presidency Match. This match was first played in 1908, shortly after his death. Subsequently, it was played annually from 1915 to 1952 and was commonly known as the [[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]] Match because it was played during the [[harvest festival]] week.<ref name=":0" /> It was very popular before the introduction of [[Test cricket]] and became the Presidency's biggest fixture until the [[Ranji Trophy]] competition was started in the 1930s.<ref name=":1" />

== Personal life ==
[[File:Indian Debonair Cricketers of bygone era in 1940.jpg|thumb|Standing from left [[Cotah Ramaswami|C. Ramaswami]], [[M. Baliah Naidu|M. Baliah]], [[C. K. Nayudu]] and M. V. Ramanjulu (Bhatt). Sitting from left: [[C. S. Nayudu]] and [[M. V. Bobjee]]]]
[[File:Buchi Babu,in his favourite garb.jpg|thumb|Buchi Babu in his favourite garb|left|270x270px]]Buchi Babu Naidu was proficient in riding, tennis and cricket, while his younger brother Chitti Babu was a tennis champion, and a cricketer. Buchi Babu's three sons – Venkataramanujulu (Bhatt), [[M. Baliah Naidu]] and [[Cotah Ramaswami]] also played in the early Presidency matches.<ref name=":4" /> Ramaswami later went on to represent India in both cricket and [[tennis]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Cotar Ramaswami Profile |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/cotar-ramaswami-33059 |access-date=2023-04-10 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|language=en}}</ref> After his retirement, Ramaswami was part of the national selection panel for nearly two decades.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cotar Ramaswami Profile |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/684/684.html |publisher=CricketArchive}}</ref> Several of Naidu's grandsons were also cricketers, playing the [[Ranji Trophy]] and league cricket.<ref name=":0" />

==Legacy==
The Buchi Babu memorial tournament began in 1909–10, a year after Babu's death, and it was conceived as a tournament between local sides. Its profile got a big lift in the late 1960s when it was converted to an invitational tournament, with outstation stars coming in and the [[Tamil Nadu Cricket Association]] taking control of its organisation.<ref name=":0" />

Cricket in Madras till Buchi Babu Naidu changed the scenario was an Englishman's game. A few Indians tried to imitate what they got a glimpse of watching from the outfield of the Madras Cricket Club's hallowed ground at Chepauk, but the real players were the British colonialists till Buchi Babu came along and offered them an Indian challenge. Not only did MUC-MCC cricket matches then become regular features but the Indians vs Europeans presidency match become the Presidency's biggest fixture until the [[Ranji Trophy]] competition came along in the 1930s.<ref name=":1" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==

* Suri and Raja (1993), ''Buchi Babu (Father of Madras Cricket) and His Sporting Clan''.
* [[Venkatraman Ramnarayan|V. Ramnarayan]] (2002), ''Mosquitos and Other Jolly Rovers: The Story of Tamil Nadu Cricket''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naidu, Buchi Babu}}
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]
[[Category:Hindus cricketers]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Chennai]]
[[Category:1868 births]]
[[Category:1908 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Telugu people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from British India]]

M. Buchi Babu Naidu - Revision history

Alimirza at 11:55, 8 February 2026