Indian Thought Latest News & Views
New Delhi. The excitement of the 16th edition of IPL is at its peak in the country. Meanwhile, a very sad news has come out for the sports lovers. Former opener Sudhir Naik, who played three Test matches for Team India in the year 1974, has passed away due to a brief illness. He took the last breath of his life in a hospital in Mumbai. This news has been confirmed by the sources of Mumbai Cricket Association.
Sudhir Naik has said goodbye to the world at the age of 78. He has a daughter in his family. A source in the MCA, who regularly monitors his health, told PTI, “Recently he had a fall on the bathroom floor and suffered a serious head injury.” After this he was taken to a hospital in Mumbai for treatment. But even here his condition did not improve. He was in a coma.
Let us tell you that Naik was a highly respected person in the Mumbai cricket world and a Ranji Trophy winning captain. Under his leadership, the team won the Ranji Trophy title in the 1970-71 season. His leadership during that time was greatly appreciated as Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy title that season without stars like Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Dilip Sardesai and Ashok Mankad.
When the 1972 Ranji season began, Naik was dropped from the playing XI as the main batsmen were back in the team. He made his debut in the Birmingham Test on the tour of England in 1974 where he scored his only fifty in a second innings defeat scoring 77 runs. He played 85 first-class matches and scored 4376 runs at an average of over 35. This includes seven centuries including a double century.
Naik played an active role as a coach. He played a big role in Zaheer Khan’s career as he brought him to Mumbai to play cricket and provided him with the required experience. He was also the chairman of the Mumbai selection committee. In later years, he worked as the curator of the Wankhede Stadium for free.
