Former Indian cricketer and coach Anshuman Gaekwad passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 71, following a battle with blood cancer. Gaekwad, who had a distinguished career both as a player and coach, died around 10 pm, according to Snehal Parikh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA).
Gaekwad had traveled to King’s College Hospital in London for treatment but returned to his hometown of Baroda in June to continue his care at a local hospital.
During his cricketing career, Gaekwad represented India in 40 Tests and 15 One Day Internationals (ODIs) from 1975 to 1987. He also played 206 first-class matches for Baroda. As a batsman, Gaekwad scored 1,985 runs in Test cricket, including a notable 201 against Pakistan, and accumulated 269 runs in ODIs. He known for his successful opening partnership with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
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After retiring as a player, Gaekwad contributed to the sport as a selector and served as India’s head coach from October 1997 to September 1999. Under his coaching, Anil Kumble achieved the historic feat of taking all ten wickets in a single innings against Pakistan in New Delhi in 1999.
Gaekwad was honored with the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017-18 and served on the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) alongside Kapil Dev and Shantha Rangaswamy. He was also the President of the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) until his death and represented the organization in the BCCI Apex Council from 2019 to 2022.
Earlier this year, in February, Gaekwad’s father, Datta Gaekwad, who also played 11 Tests for India, passed away in Baroda. The cricketing community mourns the loss of a stalwart who left an indelible mark on Indian cricket.
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