Cricket fraternity, PM and Bollywood actors pay tribute to late Ramakant Achrekar

The cricketing world, on Wednesday, lost one of its most beloved and famous teachers – Ramakant Achrekar. The famous coach from Mumbai died at his residence aged 86. Achrekar will be always remembered for his selfless nature and gifting India with so many talented stars. Several of his students went on to play for India and Mumbai while several others landed jobs because of the cricketing skills that was imparted to them by the guru.

Achrekar’s most famous student is Sachin Tendulkar, the most decorated batsman in the history of international cricket. Other notable names who learned their game from Achrekar are Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Chandrakant Pandit, Lalchand Rajput, Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, Pravin Amre, Sameer Dighe, Ajit Agarkar, Paras Mhambrey, Ramesh Powar.

“Cricket in heaven will be enriched with the presence of Achrekar sir. Like many of his students, I learnt my ABCD of cricket under Sir’s guidance. His contribution to my life cannot be captured in words. He built the foundation that I stand on,” said Tendulkar in an emotional tribute.

As a player, Achrekar started his journey in club cricket in 1945. He represented New Hind Sports Club and Young Maharashtra XI before plying his trade for Gul Mohar Mills and Bombay Port. He, however, could play just one first-class game when he represented State Bank of India against a Hyderabad Cricket Association XI in a Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup match in 1960.

In 1990, Achrekar was conferred with the prestigious Dronacharya award for his services to cricket coaching. In 2010, he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian honours in India. He also briefly served as a Mumbai selector.

Achrekar’s health had deteriorated since the late 1990s when he was paralysed. Consequently, he had been unwell for a while. In fact, he was under increased medical supervision since suffering a stroke in 2013.

The past and current cricketers, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, Bollywood actors and several celebrities were quick to pay their homage to the great man.

Here are some of the messages:

Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.