What if I told you that there was once an Indian cricketer who served as a close confidant of one of India's richest and most high-profile kings, regaled British spectators with his skills at the Lord's Cricket Ground, owned a night club in Paris, and lived for more than three years at a Japanese WWII prisoner camp?

You'd shake your head with incredulity in all likelihood, right? But this is not fiction. But this is all true. This is the tale of an enigma called Lall.

The Gills, an expatriate Indian family settled in Malaya, was among the wealthiest around with ownership of mines, rubber plantations and multiple houses. In December, 1909, a third boy was born in the family and he was named Lall - Lall Singh Gill to give him his full name although he was popularly known as Lall Singh.

Like his older brothers, Lall also found his way to the prestigious Victoria Institution. It was at the V.I. that Lall's talent at the game of willows first came to the fore. It was not just the runs but the manner in which he scored them - style, elegance and a flamboyant nonchalance - that made him darling of the crowds. Soon, the reputation of Lall Singh the cricketer spread across Malaya. In 1931, representing the Federated Malaya States against the Straits Settlements at the Padang cricket ground in Singapore, Lall played arguably his best knock - 131 breathtaking runs that had people gushing for days. That innings in particular would alter Lall Singh's life.

Back at that time, cricket in India was largely the fiefdom of the royals. And the two men of blue blood who were battling it out for supremacy were the flamboyant Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, and PVA Gajapathi Raju, the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram. Bhupinder Singh was noted both as a sportsman and a patron of sports. He was captain of the Indian cricket team that visited England in 1911, and played in 27 first-class cricket matches between 1915 and 1937. Both men, apart from being patrons of the fledgling Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), also had their own cricket teams and were always on the lookout for the next big thing in the game to include in their teams.

Thus, when news came to Patiala about this Sikh cricketer from Malaya who was turning heads with his audacious stroke play, Bhupinder Singh immediately got things rolling and, in 1931, Lall Singh arrived in Patiala.

Besides turning out for the Maharaja's cricket team, he would gradually become a close friend and confidant of the king, eventually functioning as the royal's aide de camp. Bhupinder Singh was also a most flamboyant man with a love for all good things in life and, in Lall, he found a kindred spirit. The royal after whom the iconic Patiala peg is named and the young man from Malaya spent many an evening together, accompanied by the tipple and other forms of entertainment, cementing a close bond.

Meanwhile, history was preparing to make its tryst with Indian cricket. In 1928, India had been admitted as a member of the Imperial Cricket Council (forerunner of ICC) and in the summer of 1932, the first official tour of England by the Indian team was announced. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh organised trials and was appointed to lead the side but had to withdraw because of ill health a fortnight before the trip.

Like any young cricketer, Lall also dreamed of representing India. But there was a problem. He was neither born in India nor a resident of the country and by the MCC rules of the time, it made him ineligible to play for the Indian team. But back then, like now, having a powerful friend helped. As Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was a patron of the BCCI, a special exception was made, allowing Lall Singh to fulfil his dream. He sailed off, along with the rest of the team for the historic tour.

Lall Singh featured in the Indian Team guidebook

June 25, 1932: Lord's Cricket Ground. Colonel C K Nayudu led out the Indian team into the Test arena for the first time, Lall being one of the lucky XI. And it didn't take him long to make a mark. The Englishmen had been jolted early by Mohammad Nissar who had dismissed Sutcliffe and Holmes cheaply.

And then Lall took over. The legendary Frank Woolley was sent off for a quick single. Lall Singh moved in like a hawk, swooping in, picking up the ball and scoring a direct hit, and catching the great man short of the crease. England 19/3. A full house at Lord's was left in shock and awe. An observer commented: "(Lall Singh) glides across the field like a snake."

Lall Singh, right foreground, in action during the India-England Test match.

With the bat however, Lall only provided a brief glimpse of his ability. After falling cheaply for 15 in the first innings, he played a quick and attractive hand of 29 the second time around, adding 74 in just 40 minutes in a whirlwind partnership with the famous all-rounder L. Amar Singh.

In the end, England won by 158 runs after scoring 259 and 275/8d in the two innings, while India were bowled out for 189 and 187.

That appearance at Lord's would remain Lall's only appearance in the Test arena. Given the momentousness of the occasion, he had been given entry on an exception basis. In October 1933, hoping to play in the first ever Test on Indian soil, Lall returned to India, but this time he found that he was not qualified to play for India under the existing Test rules, as he could not claim either birth or residential qualification.

Lall, though, kept at his favourite game: playing back in Malaya, and in India for his patron's Patiala team, as well as for the Hindus in the Bombay Quadrangular. He turned out for Southern Punjab when the Ranji Trophy was started in 1934, and played in the Indian team in three matches in an unofficial Test series against Jack Ryder's Australian side in 1935-1936. But his Patiala days would soon come to an abrupt and near-dead end.

By this time, Lall Singh was probably the Maharaja's closest man and naturally, it invited the wrath of the court. Things became particularly tense after a murder attempt was made on him. Lall decided it was time, and after bidding goodbye to his benefactor, he moved to Bombay. Here, a romantic twist awaited him.

Lall was a frequent visitor at the bar at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. One day in 1936, he came across Myrtle Watkins, a twice-married African-American singer performing there and fell head over heels in love.

Lall Singh sent a studio photograph of himself and Myrtle to his family, behind which he had written, "This is she and this is me ... very soon and we might be three". Soon, he and Myrtle sailed for Paris, where Lall became her theatrical agent and opened a nightclub on the Boulevard Saint-Michel with Myrtle as the star attraction. After they wedded, Myrtle began wearing a sari and practicing Sikhism alongside her new husband. For a while, it seemed happily ever after, with Myrtle performing in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and other European countires. But the couple broke off in 1939, and a presumably heartbroken Lall returned to Malaya. The world soon blew up in flames.

In December, 1941, war came to Malaya. After bombing Pearl Harbour, Imperial Japan moved in and occupied British Malaya. In mid-1942, Lall Singh and his two elder brothers were arrested for helping British officers flee the country. Their houses, estates and a gold mine were confiscated. Santha Singh Gill and Bishen Singh Gill were hanged to death, while Lall was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Borneo. There he spent the next three years at hard labour. The extremely inhumane conditions destroyed his health and he was left a skeletal reminder of his erstwhile good-looking self.

In August, 1945, in the aftermath of the atomic bombings, Japan was in disarray. Taking advantage of that, Lall escaped, only one of the six survivors among the 2500-odd prisoners and returned to Kuala Lumpur to reunite with his mother and two nieces, who had been provided shelter at the Convent. Lall's hair and beard had been shaved by his captors and he hadn't grown it back. This, along with his haggard form, meant his mother at first failed to recognise him without a turban. But soon, there were enough tears all around. Thereafter, Lall Singh never again grew his hair or beard or wore a turban.

After his mother's death in 1946, abject property forced him to start looking for work. Once again, cricket provided a silver lining. Lall was hired as a groundsman at the Selangor Cricket Club. The man who was once the darling of cricket fans in the FMS was now earning his living in this humble way, unrecognised by anyone. Still, he found time in 1947 to return to his old school to coach the V.I. cricket team. Of the 16 matches played by the Victorians, 8 were won, six were drawn and only two lost.

Lall's luck finally changed in 1950, when the Sultan of Selangor, during a visit to the club, recognised him. Sir Hishamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj was a friend of the Gill family, and was shocked to see Lall working as a groundsman. After learning of his penury and plight, the Sultan immediately ordered the restoration of all Gill family possessions. Since most of the estates, fixed and moveable assets were in the name of Lall Singh's mother who had died in 1946 and SS Gill who had been hanged in 1942, it took over two years for these properties to be reissued in the name of Lall Singh in 1953. It ensured that his later years were spent in reasonable comfort.

Lall probably never got over Myrtle. He never remarried and every summer, would make a trip to Paris, probably to reminisce over his lost love. He had one last tryst with Indian cricket in 1980 when, on the occasion of the Jubilee test to celebrate 50 years of the BCCI, the Board invited all ex-cricketers to Bombay. Lall travelled to the city where he had first found love and also met with a few old teammates from his playing days such as Lala Amarnath.

In the last days of his life, Lall Singh was looked after well by a Chinese couple in Kuala Lumpur. He died in 1985.

PETALING JAYA: When India made their debut in Test cricket 89 years ago this month at Lord's, a spirited young Malayan was a member of the greenhorn team that surprised world cricket.

Kuala Lumpur-born Lall Singh Gill found himself at the most famous ground in world cricket, facing an English side of reputable stars.

Playing with a maturity which belied his 22 years, Lall was described by the media as "an extraordinary quick mover, who glided over the ground like a snake."

India rattled a star-studded England before the three-day match was taken away from them under glorious sunshine and 25,000 people.

Lall prospered in alien conditions. In the first innings, Lall ran out Frank Woolley with 15 runs, and held one catch. Veteran Indian journalist Pratab Ramchand wrote: "It was Lall's brilliant anticipation, pick up and throw which ran out Frank Woolley in the first innings."

In the second innings, with the game virtually lost, he and Amar Singh set up a thrilling counter-attack, adding 29 and 45 runs respectively in 40 minutes for the eighth wicket.

India, captained by the Maharaja of Porbandar, lost the match by 158 runs. But Lall had made the leap from prospect to the real deal, heralding the coming of age of Malaya's most talented cricketer, playing for another country, in a different country.

Lall remains the only Malaysian to have played Test cricket and the first to feature at an international arena in any sport.

He had started his record-breaking when he became the first local to play for Malaya in a team that comprised European and Australian players.

He was to have a short first-class career in cricket-mad India where some say he was the first outstanding Indian fieldsman.

When he returned to Kuala Lumpur, he did much to foster talent and encourage the game.

He shaped the careers of some of Malaysian cricket's outstanding figures from Mike Shepherdson, Gurucharan Singh to Ranjit Singh.

Lall's story, hitherto lost in the mist of history, has now been chronicled in the book, "Sikhs in Malaysia: A Comprehensive History", by historian Ranjit Singh Malhi.

The stories resonate beyond cricket: a young man exploring new horizons, war, his time as an aide to the Maharaja of Patiala, love, and even his stint as a nightclub owner.

Lall, born in 1909, showed his triumphs were as important as his challenges and moments of resilience.

Ranjit said Lall's cricket journey began at the age of 14 when he played for the Victoria Institution. When he was hardly 16, he made the Selangor team and the Federated Malay States XI.

By 1931, Lall was already a well-known cricketer in Malaya and caught the eye of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The board called him for trials there in early 1932.

"That's how he first made a name for himself as a cricketer in India," said Ranjit.

After his short spell with the Indian cricket team, Lall lived there, working as the aide-de-camp to the Maharaja of Patiala from 1933 until 1936.

Later, he left for Paris and got married to Myrtle Watkins, an African-American singer. Lall briefly managed his wife's career and also ran a nightclub in Paris.

The couple later separated and Lall returned to Malaya in 1939.

Upon Lall's retirement, the Royal Selangor Club hired him as their chief groundsman and coach. He died on November 19, 1985.

For his outstanding services to sports, Lall received numerous awards and in honour of the legend, the Lall Singh Trophy has been contested annually between North Sikhs and South Sikhs.