Created by Sadnasankar138
Last edited December 25, 2025

Template:Infobox football match

The 1951 Durand Cup final was the 48th final of the Durand Cup, the oldest football competition in India, and was contested between Kolkata giant East Bengal and Rajasthan Armed Constabulary on 21 October 1951 first which ended in a draw and then a replay on 22 October 1951 at the Delhi Gate Stadium in New Delhi.

East Bengal won the replay final 2–1 to claim their 1st Durand Cup title. Ahmed Khan and Pansanttom Venkatesh scored the goals for East Bengal in the replay final as East Bengal lifted their first Durand Cup title.[1]

Route to the final

East Bengal Round Rajasthan Armed Constabulary
Opponent Result Round Opponent Result
Kalighat 4–1 Quarter–Final Indian Air Force 1–0
Hyderabad Police 1–0 Semi–Final Young Mens 2–0

Match

Summary

The Durand Cup final began at the Delhi Gate Stadium in New Delhi on 21 October 1951 in front of a packed crowd as Kolkata giant East Bengal and faced Rajasthan Armed Constabulary. East Bengal reached their maiden Durand Cup final after defeating Hyderabad Police 1–0 in the semi-final. Rajasthan Armed Constabulary also made their maiden appearance in the final after they defeated Young Mens 2–0 in the semi-final.[1]

East Bengal started as the favorites having already won the IFA Shield, and with a star-studded forward line consisting of the famous Pancha Pandavas. East Bengal got the best chance in the first half as Pansanttom Venkatesh shot hit the crossbar in the twenty-first minute. The deadlock was broken in the second half as Venkatesh found the net with a grounded effort in the thirty-fifth minute to give East Bengal the lead. Rajasthan however, was quick to respond and equalised just five minutes later as their star forward Sheoo Mewalal found the back of the net with a header to make it 1–1. The game ended in a draw and the organising committee decided to host the replay final the very next day.[2]

Details

Template:Footballbox

Template:Football kit Template:Football kit
GK Template:Flagicon Manilal Ghatak
FB Template:Flagicon Byomkesh Bose (c)
FB Template:Flagicon Ansari
HB Template:Flagicon G. R. Gokul
HB Template:Flagicon Chandan Singh
HB Template:Flagicon S. Ray
FW Template:Flagicon Pansanttom Venkatesh
FW Template:Flagicon Sushil Bhattacharya
FW Template:Flagicon K. P. Dhanraj
FW Template:Flagicon Ahmed Khan
FW Template:Flagicon P. B. A. Saleh
GK Template:Flagicon Sanjeeva Uchil
FB Template:Flagicon Manuel
FB Template:Flagicon Ratnam (c)
HB Template:Flagicon Arokiyaswami
HB Template:Flagicon Gurbaux Singh
HB Template:Flagicon Mahabir Prasad
FW Template:Flagicon Kanaiyan
FW Template:Flagicon Myasi
FW Template:Flagicon Sheoo Mewalal
FW Template:Flagicon Raman
FW Template:Flagicon Kupuswami

Match rules

  • 50 minutes.
  • Replay if scores still level.
  • No Substitutes.

Replay

Summary

The replay final began at the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary in New Delhi on 22 October 1951 after the first game ended in a 1–1 stalemate.

East Bengal made a fast start and was once again the first to score as Ahmed Khan found the net with a powerful shot in the fourteenth minute after receiving a pass from K. P. Dhanraj. Rajasthan was quick to respond and equalized just three minutes later as Raman made a solo run past four defenders to place the ball inside the goal to make it 1–1. East Bengal found the winner in the second half with just eight minutes remaining when Pansanttom Venkatesh dribbled past a couple of defenders to score with a powerful left-footed strike to make it 2–1 as East Bengal lifted their maiden Durand Cup title, thus also becoming the first ever Indian team to win the IFA Shield and Durand Cup in the same season, a record previously only held by British regimental teams: Black Watch (1920), Worcestershire Regiment (1921), and Sherwood Foresters (1928).[1][3][4][5][6]

Details

Template:Footballbox

Template:Football kit Template:Football kit
GK Template:Flagicon Manilal Ghatak
FB Template:Flagicon Byomkesh Bose (c)
FB Template:Flagicon Ansari
HB Template:Flagicon G. R. Gokul
HB Template:Flagicon Chandan Singh
HB Template:Flagicon S. Ray
FW Template:Flagicon Pansanttom Venkatesh
FW Template:Flagicon Sushil Bhattacharya
FW Template:Flagicon K. P. Dhanraj
FW Template:Flagicon Ahmed Khan
FW Template:Flagicon P. B. A. Saleh
GK Template:Flagicon Sanjeeva Uchil
FB Template:Flagicon Manuel
FB Template:Flagicon Ratnam (c)
HB Template:Flagicon Arokiyaswami
HB Template:Flagicon Gurbaux Singh
HB Template:Flagicon Mahabir Prasad
FW Template:Flagicon Kanaiyan
FW Template:Flagicon Myasi
FW Template:Flagicon Sheoo Mewalal
FW Template:Flagicon Raman
FW Template:Flagicon Kupuswami

Match rules

  • 50 minutes.
  • Joint winners if both finals ends in a draw.
  • No Substitutes.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 India - List of Durand Cup Finals, Morrison, Neil(11 October 2022).
  2. [{{{url}}} ডুরান্ড কাপের ফাইনাল খেলা অমীমাংসিত]. Jugantor(22 October 1951).
  3. [{{{url}}} ইস্ট বেঙ্গল দলের ডুরান্ড কাপ জয়ের গৌরব]. Jugantor(23 October 1951).
  4. Top 10 moments in Durand Cup history | East Bengal won their first-ever Durand Cup in 1951. Khel Now(2019-07-27). Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  5. A century of excellence: East Bengal's greatest hits, Sen, Debayan(1 August 2020).
  6. Who were the 'Pancha Pandavas' of East Bengal and what impact did they have in Indian football?, Banerjee, Ritabrata(27 Mar 2020).

Template:Durand Cup Template:East Bengal Club