In 1979, the year this newspaper was launched, another institution emerged as the talk of the town in cricket circles. Rajasthan Sports Club, then owned by the famous cricketing Rungta family of Jaipur, became the Dr H D Kanga Cricket League -A- division champions for the first and only time in 1979. It was quite an achievement for a team that worked its way up to the premier division of the monsoon Sunday league, only three years prior to their crowning moment.

The club scene in the 1970s was dominated by Dadar Union Sporting Club of Gavaskar and Vengsarkar fame. Their four-year winning streak 1973 to 1976 was broken by arch-rivals Shivaji Park Gymkhana in 1977. Dadar Union regained the -A- division pennant in 1978, but were stopped by Rajasthan in 1979.

Rajasthan comprised a few former Dadar Union players, all-rounders Shashi and Suru Nayak as well as pacer Subhash Patne, who combined well with fellow seamers, GR Sunderam, a former Test fast medium bowler and Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a future India swing bowler. Raju Kulkarni, another Test bowler in the making was in the squad, as was India-s future opening batsman Lalchand Rajput.  Rajasthan also had the classy India batsman Parthasarthy Sharma, who was still playing first-class cricket for Rajasthan state and Central Zone.

The Nayak brothers joined Rajasthan SC from Dadar Union whom Patne represented as well in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Sandhu 59 remembers young players like him latching on to every word -Parath- Sharma spoke about batting especially against spin bowling. And sharing the new ball with veteran Sunderam, then 49,  gave young Sandhu a high.