Indian cricket fraternity mourns first-class giant Rajinder Goel's demise

Rajinder Goel, 77, one of the greatest bowlers in Indian domestic cricket took his last breath in Rohtak on Sunday after battling long term illness. He was a cricketer who holds the record for most wickets in Ranji Trophy, despite which he was never selected to play for India.

Being a left-arm spinner, he represented Patiala, Southern Punjab, Delhi and Haryana in domestic cricket. The presence of the Indian spin legend, Bishen Singh Bedi, who bowled in a similar style, restricted his appearances for India. When Bedi was dropped from the team for the Bangalore Test against West Indies in 1974-75 on disciplinary grounds for appearing in a BBC interview, Goel was selected for the Indian team but was excluded at the last moment. He was unlucky but he had the grace to accept his destiny without complaining about it.

He left a legacy behind him and the fans remember him not only for his monumental skills but also for the kind of human being he was. Sunil Gavaskar in his book ‘Idols’ called Goel, “The Smiling Assasin”, for his courteous attitude. He played 26 seasons of first-class cricket between 1958-59 and 1984-85 picking up 750 first-class wickets from 157 games which had 59 five-fors and 18 ten-wicket-hauls, a magnificent career indeed.

Indian cricketers send condolences to Rajinder Goel’s family

The Indian cricket fraternity mourned the demise and paid tribute to the left-arm spin great Rajinder Goel. BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly marked his anguish terming him a “Giant of domestic cricket”. His stunning record tells you about his craft and the control he had over it, Ganguly said in his condolence statement.

“To have a career that lasts more than 25 years and still be able to perform consistently speaks about his dedication and commitment towards the game. To be able to pick 750 wickets needs years and years of hard work and I salute his efforts. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family,” the former India captain said as quoted by the BCCI statement.

Dashing opener Virender Sehwag tweeted in his style terming it was the Indian team’s loss that Goel never played for the International team. Indian team head coach Ravi Shastri tweeted that he was the ‘Master of his craft’..Killer line & length in our terrain. Several other cricketers also paid their homage to the legend.

During his playing days, Goel was employed by the State Bank of India. He later served as a selector for Haryana and the Indian junior teams. His son Nitin Goel was also a first-class cricketer for Haryana.

Here are the tweets