Anshuman Gaekwad @gaeky, Former India Cricketer and Coach, Dies at 71

Anshuman Gaekwad, the former India cricketer and coach, passed away at the age of 71 after a long battle with blood cancer. He was in London until last month and died in Baroda following a brief stay in the ICU due to various health complications.

Gaekwad played 40 Test matches and 15 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for India between 1975 and 1987. After his playing career, he served as a selector and later as the coach of the national team. He scored 1985 runs in Test cricket, including a memorable 201 against Pakistan in 1982-83, which was then the slowest double-century in first-class cricket. He also famously scored 81 runs in Jamaica against a formidable West Indies team, enduring a bouncer from Michael Holding that punctured his eardrum, an era when helmets were not used.

Gaekwad had two tenures as India’s coach between 1997 and 2000. His first stint was during the Sachin Tendulkar era, and his second was during the match-fixing scandal, briefly replacing Kapil Dev. Notable achievements under his coaching included the Independence Cup win, a 2-1 home series victory against Australia, Anil Kumble’s 10-wicket haul against Pakistan, and reaching the final of the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000.

Earlier this month, the BCCI provided INR 1 crore for Gaekwad’s treatment after appeals from Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil.