Mumbai cricket great Padmakar Shivalkar passes away aged 84
Mumbai cricket great Padmakar Shivalkar passes away aged 84
The legendary left-arm spinner Padmakar Shivalkar passed away in Mumbai on Monday. He was 84.
Shivalkar picked 589 wickets in First Class cricket in 124 games at an enviable average of 19.74 across a career spanning a quarter of a century. He was among the chief architects of Mumbai’s 15-season title streak in the Ranji Trophy.
Shivalkar, along with fellow left-arm spinner Rajinder Goel, was conferred with the Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2017. His last public appearance was last month, when he was felicitated by the Mumbai Cricket Association to mark the 50th anniversary of the Wankhede Stadium.
“His dedication, skill, and impact on Mumbai cricket are unparalleled. His passing is an irreplaceable loss to the cricketing fraternity,” said Ajinkya Naik, the MCA president.
He was spotted and honed by Vinoo Mankad and trained at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana. Shivalkar debuted for Mumbai in 1961-62. He passed on the baton to the youngsters after the 1980-81 Ranji final. Shivalkar was forced out of retirement a month before his 48th birthday and made a mark in the pre-quarterfinal and quarterfinal.
He was considered as the most unfortunate cricketer by many, for having missed out on international cricket despite a stellar First Class record.
With Shivalkar’s peak coinciding with India’s famous spin quartet, Bishan Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, S. Venkataraghavan, and B.S. Chandrasekhar, he missed out on an international cap. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who wrote a piece on Shivalkar in his book ‘Idols’, stated how he regrets being unable to convince the national selectors to pick Shivalkar in India’s Test team.
Shivalkar, a passionate singer, took to coaching at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana after his playing days. He also chaired Mumbai’s selection panel in 2008-09.
