Former India batter Gaekwad passes away

Aunshuman Gaekwad

Former India batter and Coach Aunshuman Gaekwad passed away yesterday after a prolonged illness.

The 71-year-old played for India and coached the team in late 1990s. Gaekwad, who had suffered from blood cancer, passed away at the Bhailal Amin General Hospital in Vadodara. 
Gaekwad debuted for India in 1975 and in an international career spanning over a decade, featured in 40 Tests and 15 ODIs. He was a seasoned First-Class player, amassing over 12,000 runs at 41.56, which included 34 centuries and 47 fifties.

After his retirement, Gaekwad continued to serve Indian cricket. He was appointed as the India Men’s Team Head Coach in 1997 and enjoyed plenty of successes in his tenure. 
The most notable being - India’s triumph in the Tri-Nation Tournament in Sharjah in 1998 and India’s terrific victory over Pakistan in the New Delhi Test of 1999 that saw Anil Kumble’s historic 10 for 74.

Gaekwad also served as a national selector and was a member of BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee. He was honoured with the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI in 2018. (ICC)