Mumbai: Former India cricket captain Ajit Wadekar passed away in a private hospital here on Wednesday evening. He was 77 years old.
Wadekar is survived by his wife Rekha, two sons and a daughter.
Born in Mumbai, Wadekar made his international debut in 1966 against West Indies. He was the country’s first ODI captain.
The Mumbikar was an aggressive batsman. He was a trailblazer in Indian cricket despite a mere 37 Test appearances, leading India to triumphs in England and the West Indies in 1971.
The left-hander ended his Test career with 14 half centuries, four of those being 90-plus scores. He went on to serve as India’s manager in the ’90s during Mohammed Azharuddin’s captaincy.
In his tenure as manager, India had finished semifinalists at the 1996 World Cup. He later went on to become the chairman of selectors.
Wadekar is the only cricketer apart from Lala Amarnath and Chandu Borde to have served as captain, manager, and selector in Indian cricket.
The cricketer was bestowed the Arjuna Award in 1967 and Padmashri in 1972.
Kalinga AI