M. Buchi Babu Naidu

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 Balija family hailing from Nellore. The club started playing regularly against MCC. After his retirement, Ramaswami was part of the national selection panel for nearly two decades. Several of Naidu's grandsons were also cricketers, playing the Ranji Trophy and league cricket.

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.

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.