A prayer meet was held in Vadodara on Thursday afternoon in the memory of former Team India coach and cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad, who died on July 31 after a year-long battle with blood cancer. Former Indian cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Balwinder Sandhu, Kiran More and Atul Bedade, Samarjitsinh and Radhikaraje Gaekwad from the Baroda royal family, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, several other former cricketers and office bearers of the Baroda Cricket Association, fashion designer Deepak Golani and senior police officers were present to offer their condolences.
Sunil Gavaskar says, “He was my opening partner and it was always a delight to play alongside him. Together, we faced some of the best fast bowlers in world cricket and naturally, we would be worried about how to handle the situation. Jab koi saath mein opening karta hai, you interact a lot with each other. A day before the match, we would sit down and discuss how to face the fast bowlers the next day. That’s how we became friends.”
He adds, “I knew that he was unwell for a while. But still, you always hope for the best and think that your friend will recover. Losing him has been a tough blow.”
What people had to say about Anshuman Gaekwad: Bahut afsos hai, I am at a loss for words. As a player, I learnt a lot of things from him.
-Balwinder Sandhu I knew him (Anshuman) for a very long time and have fond memories of playing badminton together. The way he bravely faced fast bowlers as a player was inspiring. Apart from being a terrific batsman, he was also a great captain for Baroda and played a key role in guiding young cricketers from the city. Very few former cricketers have contributed so much to the game. We will miss him.
-Samarjitsinh Gaekwad His demise is a huge loss for our country. He was very respectful towards everyone and shared a great bond with our family. I wish his family strength during this difficult phase
-Radhikaraje Gaekwad.