Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar was a famous Indian cricketer of early British period. He was born on 1st January 1909 at Bombay (Mumbai). He was a cricketer who kept wicket for India in Test cricket. Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar was also right hand batsman.
Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar toured England in the year 1936 and 1946. He was India`s first choice wicket keeper. Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar opened in the first Test at Lord`s Cricket Stadium in 1936. There he chipped a bone in his finger and suffered from blurred vision. This injury and his subsequent exclusion from the next Test led to the famous opening partnership between Vijay Merchant and Mushtaq Ali, other versatile Indian batmen.
The injuries of Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar limited his appearances in the year 1946 as well. In the Old Trafford Test, he went in last and batted out 13 minutes with the Ranga Sohoni to save the match. A right-handed batsman by origin, Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar wore his cap at a "bewildered angle" and stood with his toes pointing up at an angle of 45 degrees.
Batting Averages
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | 100 | 50 | 6s | Ct | St | |
| Tests | 4 | 7 | 2 | 71 | 26 | 14.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| First-class | 96 | 151 | 8 | 2349 | 135 | 17.1 | 1 | 9 | 128 | 59 |
Bowling averages
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wickets | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
| Tests | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| First-class | 96 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar was the son of a farmer from Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra. Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar worked in the Bombay Port Trust (Mumbai Port Trust) for a salary of Rs.80 a month. His means were so limited that he could not afford to buy a pair of gloves, and used to visit Khershed Meherhom and borrow his cricket equipments.
Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar died on 30 March 1949, Bombay (now called Mumbai) at the age of 40 for want of proper treatment. It was only at a very late stage of his illness that he was moved to the Arthur Road Hospital in Bombay. Dattaram Dharmaji Hindlekar died leaving behind his wife and seven children. After his death, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Bombay Cricket Association issued appeals for contributions to help his family.
