Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar has paid tribute to Anshuman Gaekad, who passed away on Wednesday, July 31, after a tough battle with cancer. He breathed his last at the Bhailal Amin General Hospital in Vadodara.
The BCCI paid INR 10 crore towards the former India head coach’s medical expenses after his family struggled to make ends meet in London. He was later brought back to Vadodara where he continued his treatment, but sadly without results.
Sachin Tendulkar, who was appointed Indian captain under him from 1997 to 1999, his first stint with the Indian team as head coach, recalled the man Gaekwad was.
The former batting legend took to his official handle X and wrote about how he remembered the former Indian coach. Sachin said that he had the privilege of playing against the former Indian cricketer in the 1980s.
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Sachin Tendulkar pays tribute to Anshuman Gaekwad
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing away of Anshu Bhai. I had the privilege of playing against him in the 80s and of coaching him in the late 90s.
In between those years, he was part of some wonderful memories of Indian cricket. He was a talented player and coach, and his contribution… image.twitter.com/AOr0eO9ACO
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 1, 2024
“I am saddened to hear of the passing away of Anshu Bhai. I had the privilege of playing against him in the 1980s and being his coach in the late 1990s. In between those years, he was part of some wonderful memories in Indian cricket. He was a talented player and coach, his contribution to cricket is immense and will always be remembered,” Tendulkar wrote.
“His determination and straightforward nature stood out. We stayed in touch over the years and last spoke a couple of months ago. My condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace,” Tendulkar added.
The former India player and coach played 40 Test matches and 15 ODIs between 1975 and 1987. His highest score, 201, came against Pakistan in the 1982-83 season. The last rites of the former India coach were performed on Thursday afternoon. He was cremated in Gujarat and his last rites were performed at the Kirti Mandir in the presence of his family members.
Gaekwad played 40 Test matches for India. He scored two centuries and ten fifties, at a career average of 32. He had scored over 12000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of over 40. This included 34 centuries and 47 fifties in the meantime. His best knock of 201 came against Pakistan in the 1982-83 season.
Some of India’s most memorable achievements came under the leadership of Anshuman Gaekwad. Sachin Tendulkar’s rise as a batting phenomenon began under his guidance. He was the coach when India played in the 1999 ODI World Cup. Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid recorded their highest scores in ODIs under his guidance as head coach. They also had a score of 318 in the World Cup match against Sri Lanka, which remains a record in ODI cricket. Anil Kumble took his 10-wicket haul against Pakistan in Test matches with him as coach in 1999 in Delhi.
Gaekwad returned for a second stint as head coach of the Indian cricket team in 1999 before John Wright took over and was in charge of the Indian team between 2000 and 2005.
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