The former India batter and national head coach Anshuman Gaekwad has died at the age of 71 following a battle with blood cancer. Gaekwad dies in Baroda’s brief time in the ICU due to various health complications at Bhailal Amin General Hospital in Vadodara.
Gaekwad played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1987 before becoming a selector and coach of the national team. Gaekwad scored 1985 runs from 70 Test innings with a high score of 1982-83, where he patiently batted for 671 minutes, then the slowest ever double venture in first-class cricket.
BCCI Grieves the Loss of Aunshuman Gaekwad.https://t.co/OQGCADH8CT
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He smashed 81 runs against West Indies in Jamaica boasting the likes of Michael Holding in its attack. Gaekwad had to have an operation after he was stung on the ear by holding a bouncer that punctured his eardrum. It was detailed in his autobiography ‘Guts Amid Bloodbath’.
“Anshuman Gaekwad’s passing is a great loss for Indian cricket. His dedication, resilience, and love for the game were unparalleled. He was not just a cricketer but a mentor and a friend to many. The cricketing community will miss him dearly, and his contributions will always be remembered,” said the BCCI President Roger Binny.
Sunil Gavaskar who played alongside Gaekwad paid tribute to Gaekwad. “I was privileged to play with three of the bravest cricketers in Indian cricket — Eknath Solkar, Jimmy Amarnath, and Anshuman Gaekwad. We had heard about the bravery and guts of Nari Contractor playing with a broken rib and going on to score 81 at Lords.
“That was inspirational to budding cricketers that when it comes to playing for your country you must take all the blows and keep fighting for your team. That’s exactly what Ekki, Jimmy, and Charlie as Anshuman was known, did when they donned the India cap. (It’s) very depressing news but Charlie showed here again that he wasn’t going to give his life’s wicket easily and fought right till the end. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” Gavaskar said.
Recently, BCCI has released INR 1 crore for Gaekwad’s treatment after Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil urged the board to help him.
