Fading Light: Anshuman Gaekwad, Former India Head Coach, Loses Battle Against Blood Cancer at 71

The former legend was India’s coach and batsman with 1,985 runs in 70 Test innings in his time

The Indian cricket legend passed on from blood cancer aged 71 in Baroda, India /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

Anshuman Gaekwad, a former India batsman and national head coach, has passed away at the age of 71 after a long battle with leukemia. Gaekwad played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1987.

He later became a selector and then coach of the national team. As a batsman, Gaekwad scored 1,985 runs in 70 Test innings. His highest score was 201 against Pakistan in 1982-83. He also scored 81 against a West Indies team that had the likes of Michael Holding in their attack, despite the absence of helmets or restrictions on batsmen at that time.

Gaekwad needed surgery after a Holding bouncer poked him in the ear, rupturing his eardrum. He ended his playing career on a high note, scoring a hundred in his final first-class match.

He had two separate spells as India's coach between 1997 and 2000. He oversaw a transitional period during the Sachin Tendulkar era and also returned amid the match-fixing saga.

Highlights of his tenure included India's Independence Trophy triumph, a 2–1 home win over Australia, Anil Kumble's 10-wicket haul against Pakistan to level the home Test series, and the drawn ODI series in New Zealand.

He returned to lead the team to the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2000, where they lost to New Zealand in the final. Earlier this month, the BCCI released INR 1 crore for Gaekwad's treatment after appeals from Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil to the board for help.

He will fondly be remembered for his contributions to Indian cricket both as a player and a coach. Tributes have started pouring in from his fans. “My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Anshuman Gaekwad,” Jay Shah, one of his fans, posted on X: “Heartbreaking for the entire cricket fraternity. May his soul rest in peace,” added Shah.