On July 31, 2024, Anshuman Gaekwad, a former cricket player for India, passed away at the age of 71 from blood cancer. Zaheer Abbas, a former cricket player for Pakistan who had much experience with Gaekwad, described his eating habits and their friendship off the pitch. Although the BCCI had approved a one crore help package for his hospital stay, the veteran passed away in Baroda.
Zaheer Abbas, a former cricket player for Pakistan who had much experience with Gaekwad, described his eating habits and their friendship off the pitch.
Gaekwad has made 1985 runs in 40 Test matches for India, but his most well-known performance came in a lengthy innings against Pakistan at Burlton Park in Jalandhar in September 1983. In pursuit of Pakistan’s 337 first-inning score, he batted for 671 minutes, putting his double century among the slowest in Test history. Gaekwad’s batting style was described as having “enviable sound technique” by Pakistani captain Abbas.
“I recall how Anshuman was always willing to try out new foods when we would chat about our regional cuisine. He had an extreme liking for spicy food to the point that sometimes I had to remind him to “eat less spicy food, you need to play tomorrow and you can’t afford to have a stomach bug.” This was because he was really fond of kal khelna bhi hai. However, as soon as there was food on the platter, we quickly consumed it. We relished the tastes and the heat,” Abbas stated, as cited by
And when someone can bat comfortably for over 11 hours (671 minutes), that says a lot about his abilities. One of the reasons it was enjoyable to watch Aunshuman bat was his exceptional talent and great technique, he continued.
It’s shocking to learn that someone as physically fit as him may have cancer: Zaheer Abbas
For the uninitiated, Gaekwad was closely involved in cricket and served as both an Indian coach and a national selector. After receiving a blood cancer diagnosis in July of last year, Gaekwad flew to England for medical care. During the hard times, Abbas said he made sure he stayed in touch and kept in touch with his old pal.
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The idea that someone as physically fit as him could receive a cancer diagnosis was startling. But he persisted to the very end. I lost a close buddy, and I will always treasure our chats and his persistent passion for the game. Have a safe journey, Aunshuman. Abbas came to an end.
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