Hyderabad: Former India player and coach Anshuman Gaekwad, who was battling blood cancer, lost the battle and passed away on Wednesday, July 31. A senior Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) official told ETV Bharat, "Anshuman Gaekwad passed away at around 10 PM and his funeral will be held on August 1, in the morning."
Anshuman Gaekwad (71), son of late Dattajirao Gaekwad, appeared in 40 Tests for India in which he scored 1985 runs. He also played 15 ODIs in which he scored 269 runs. He played 269 first class matches in which he scored 12136 runs with 225 as his highest score. Gaikwad's highest score in Tests was 201.
Gaekwad also served the Indian team as its coach and when star spinner took 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan in New Delhi, Gaekwad was in the dressing room. The former batter also worked as a Cricket Advisory Committee member along with former India skipper Kapil Dev and former women's cricketer Shantha Rangaswamy.
His former teammates including World Cup winning skipper Kapil Dev had appealed to the Board to give him financial assistance, after which the BCCI has granted a financial aid of Rs 1 crore. Tributes poured in for Gaekwad, who was respected in the cricket community.
Life As A Coach: After his retirement in 1982, Gaekwad coached the Indian squad for two terms, from 1997 to 1999 and from 2000 to 2001. India also finished as the 2000 Champions Trophy runners-up under his guidance. In the 1990s, Gaekwad also held the positions of president of the Indian Cricketers' Association and national selector.
He also had a brief stint with the Kenyan men's national squad. In 2018, the BCCI presented him with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. Gaekwad was offered a full-time position in 2009, but he turned it down for personal reasons.
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