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poets, music and drama and had attracted a galaxy of talent that had earned Vizianagaram the sobriquet 'Vidyanagaram'. Besides academics there was also sports to keep with his princely stature.First, there was cricket. His uncle, Maharajkumar Vijayanand, better known as Sir Vizzy was then at the height of his fame. He had been instrumental in bringing world class cricketers to tour India and give the locals a taste of the game as it was played at the highest level. The young PVG Raju would have probably seen 'The Master' Jack Hobbs and the elegant opening batsman Herbert Sutcliffe play at the Korukonda palace and Ayodhya Maidanam, now a dustbowl, but then with immaculate turf and a well-kept pitch.Sir Vizzy's chord with cricket is well known to all lovers of the game. It is widely agreed that his passion for the game was immense and he spent a lot of effort and money to popularise cricket in the country. He was constantly scouting for talent and encouraging them Sir Vizzy with Mahatma Gandhi56