Anshum Gaekwad (1952-2024)) is a former Indian cricketer who played 40 Test matches and 15 one-day internationals. He also served as the head coach of the Indian national team twice. He is the son of Dattajirao Gaekwad, India’s tenth Test captain. He died on July 31, 2024 in London.
Wiki/Biography
Anshum Dattajirao Gaekwad was born on Tuesday, September 23, 1952 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India (age 71; time of death). His zodiac sign is Libra. Anshuman completed his primary education at the Convent of Jesus and Mary and then attended Maharani Chimnabai High School in Vadodara. Growing up, he would accompany his father, Dattajirao Gaekwad, to training at the Moti Bagh Stadium, where veterans such as Vijay Hazare, Jayasinghrao Ghorpade and Dattajirao used to have their training camps. It is held here all year round. He studied commerce at Maharaja University of Baroda. In 1969, he entered college cricket.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′11″
Hair color: gray
Eye color: black
family and race
Anshum Gaekwad was born into a Maratha family.
Parents and siblings
His father Dattajirao Gaekwad (late) was also a cricketer and played 11 Tests for India between 1952 and 1961. He passed away on February 13, 2024, in Vadodara due to age-related illnesses. His mother’s name is Ushadevi. He has three sisters: Geeta, Sunetra and Nandini. He is the eldest son among four siblings.
Anshuman Gaikwad and his parents
wife and children
Anshum Gaekwad marries Jyoti Gaekwad after five years of courtship. He had two sons: Aniruddha Gaekwad and Shatrunjay Gaekwad. Shatrunj is also a cricketer and represents Baroda in the Ranji Trophy.
From left to right: Jyoti Gaekwad, Anshum Gaekwad, Shatrunjay Gaekwad’s wife Shatrunjay Gaekwad Shatrunjay Gaekwad
Anshum Gaekwad with his sons Aniruddha Gaekwad (far left) and Shatrunjay Gaekwad (far right)
Signature/Autograph
Anshuman Gaikwad’s signature
Profession
as a cricketer
Domestic
Within a year of playing college cricket, he was selected as the bowler to represent Baroda in the 1969-70 season. He played for Baroda in the domestic circuit and scored over 12,000 first-class runs, including 34 centuries.
international
Gaikwad made his debut against West Indies on 1 January 1975 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He scored 36 runs in his first Test match. Gaikwad had a near-death experience when he was badly hit on the ear by Michael Holding during a match against the West Indies in Jamaica in 1975-76. Gaikwad was batting at 81 when Holding’s bouncer pierced his eardrum. He was rushed to hospital and spent 48 hours in intensive care. Although he underwent various surgeries, the injury resulted in lifelong hearing problems. He made his ODI debut against England on 7 June 1975 at Lord’s Stadium in London. He participated in the 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cup.
Anshum Gaekwad pictured playing for Team India during the 1979 Cricket World Cup
He scored his first Test century against the West Indies in the 1978-79 cricket season. His career highlights include scoring a double hundred in the second Test of the India Test series against Pakistan at Jalandhar on September 29, 1983. Pakistan set a target of 337 runs in the first innings. India got off to a bad start and lost early wickets. However, Gaekwad held his ground and batted for 671 minutes, scoring 201 runs off 436 balls. It was one of the slowest double centuries in first-class cricket. Although the match ended in a draw, Gaikwad shot to fame. He has since become known for his patience and ability to focus in difficult situations.
Old photos of Anshum Gaekwad
He played his last Test match against England on December 31, 1984 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In 1985, he played 40 Tests for India, scoring 30.07. Sunil Gavaskar, has been the opening partner in 29 of Gaekwad’s 40 Tests. Gaikwad played his last ODI against West Indies on December 23, 1987 at the Nehru Stadium in Gauhati. He played 15 ODIs in which he scored 269 runs at 20.69.
As national coach, selector and administrator
After retiring from international cricket, Gaikwad served as national selector from 1992 to 1996, during which he had to convince legendary cricketer Kapil Dev to retire in 1994. From October 1997 to September 1999, he served as India’s national cricket coach. He succeeds Madan Lal at a time when India is going through a bad period in international cricket. He worked well with the ODI team during his two years as coach, but the unsuccessful tour of Australia in 1999 and India’s poor performance in the 1999 World Cup brought an end to his tenure.
Photos from Anshum Gaekwad’s coaching days
In 2000, Gaikwad was again appointed as the head coach of the national team, but this time he only served for a few months. After Kapil Dev stepped down, Gaekwad took over the position and was later replaced by John Wright. In 2018, BCCI invited him to join the interview panel to select the women’s coach. In 2019, the Supreme Court-appointed Council of Administrators (CoA) decided to appoint Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy ) formed a three-member committee to select India’s next head coach.
The Cricket Advisory Committee consists of Kapil Dev (centre), Shanta Rangaswamy (right) and Ans human Gaekwad.
In 2022, he became the president of the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA). He is a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) and a former BCCI Apex Governing Council member.
after retirement
After retiring from cricket, Anshuman Gaikwad worked with the Gujarat Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited in Vadodara and took early retirement in 2000. In 2004, he became Executive Director of ProCricket USA.
Awards
In June 2018, he received the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award from the BCCI, which is the highest honor bestowed by the BCCI to a former player. He was recognized as one of the best coaches in Indian history and was awarded a sum of Rs. 2.5 million.
die
Anshuman died of blood cancer at King’s College Hospital in London, England, on July 31, 2024, at the age of 71.
Facts/Trivia
- His cricket team-mates and friends also called him “Charlie”, a name given to him by a bar girl while on tour in New Zealand. Cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar narrated the incident in an interview and said:
We were sitting in a bar. Everyone ordered a drink. The bar girl asked him, “Charlie, what can I do for you?” I asked her why Charlie and she said he wore glasses. That’s why he’s called Charlie. “
- He earned the nickname “The Wall” for his defensive approach against the West Indies bowlers, who were some of the best in the business during his era.
- Anshuman Gaikwad had family connections with the royal family of Baroda. His grandfather was one of the brothers of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III and served in the Vadodara state army. After Sayajirao’s death in 1939, his grandson Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad became the Maharaja. Anshum Gaekwad’s father Dattajirao Gaekwad was invited to stay at the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara at the age of 11 to become the companion of Prince Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad. Later, Dattajirao also served as Deputy Auditor General of Vadodara state.
- As a child, he developed his passion for cricket by watching his father, Dattajirao Gaekwad, play cricket. His love for the game also comes from his mother’s side of the family. Aunshu’s maternal grandfather Wyankatrao Narsimharao Ghorpade was the captain of Baroda when the team won the Ranji Trophy for the first time in 1942-43.
- Anshuman has been terrified of fast bowling since his childhood. Jayasinghrao Ghorpade, fondly known as “Mamasaheb” helped Anshuman overcome this fear.
- The Monastery of Jesus and Mary is about 10 kilometers from Anshuman’s home. To facilitate commuting, he was arranged to travel with Maharaja Fatehsinhrao’s sister, who also studied in the same school. A servant would pick Anshu up on a bicycle and take him to the palace, where he would then take a car. However, he could only ride his bicycle home. This habit continued for about three years, but since Aunshu was exhausted by the time he returned home around 6:30 pm, Dattaji decided to transfer him to a closer school.
- He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm break bowler.
- When he is in Chennai, Gaekwad likes to go to Mahabalipuram and relax at Fisherman’s Bay.
- In May 2023, he released his autobiography “The Guts of Bloodbath” in the presence of Sunil Gavaskar.
Anshum Gaekwad at the launch of his autobiography Dare in Blood (2023)
- That same year, Anshum Gaekwad was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a type of blood cancer. Since then, he has been undergoing chemotherapy at a private hospital in Vadodara.
- He likes spicy food.
- In July 2024, it was reported that Gaekwad was battling blood cancer in a London hospital. Cricketers Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil have made a strong appeal to the BCCI to provide financial assistance for his treatment. The BCCI subsequently released Rs. 1 Crore to Gaekwad.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education