Ramakant Achrekar, Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli’s childhood coach passed away at the age of 87 on Wednesday.
Achrekar was suffering from old-age related ailments, the family informed. “He (Archrekar Sir) is no more with us. He passed away this evening,” his kin Rashmi Dalvi told PTI.
Born in 1932, the Dronacharya awardee had played a key role in shaping up Tendulkar’s career over the years even though he himself competed in just one first-class match in his playing career.
“Cricket in heaven will be enriched with the presence of Achrekar sir. Like many of his students, I learnt my ABCD of cricket under Sir’s guidance. His contribution to my life cannot be captured in words. He built the foundation that I stand on,” Sachin Tendulkar is quoted as saying by ANI.
BCCI took to Twitter to expresses his condolences, ” The BCCI expresses its deepest sympathy on the passing of Dronacharya award-winning guru Shri Ramakant Achrekar. Not only did he produce great cricketers, but also trained them to be fine human beings. His contribution to Indian Cricket has been immense, ” the post read.
The BCCI expresses its deepest sympathy on the passing of Dronacharya award-winning guru Shri Ramakant Achrekar. Not only did he produce great cricketers, but also trained them to be fine human beings. His contribution to Indian Cricket has been immense. pic.twitter.com/mK0nQODo6b
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 2, 2019
Tendulkar had also paid rich tribute to Achrekar during his emotional farewell speech in Mumbai.
“My cricket career started when I was 11. The turning point of my career was when my brother (Ajit) took me to Achrekar sir. I was extremely delighted to see him up in the stands. Normally he sits in front of the television and he watches all the games that I play,” Tendulkar had said.
Achrekar was also conferred with prestigious Padma Shri award for his services to cricket in 2010.