As he is laid to rest, Indian cricket bids farewell to one of its greatest administrators -- a visionary who understood that breaking monopolies and building stadiums were about the same thing: Giving millions of cricket-loving Indians the infrastructure worthy of their passion.
Thank you for the memories, Mr Wadekar! Indian cricket is forever indebted to you.
Some former and current cricketers paid tribute to Ajit Wadekar after he passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday after prolonged illness.
'We used to get Rs 250 for a Test match, and if the match was over in 4 days, 50 rupees were cut.'
Ajit Wadekar recalls how India turned the tables on the the West Indies and won a historic victory.
'The players who performed were selected.'
'I am not envious of those who are making millions. It's their era and I had my era.'
The breakdown in communication between national selectors, led by chairman Chetan Sharma, and the team management comprising skipper Virat Kohli over Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran's contentious selection, is not the first such instance in Indian cricket.
'I was actually appointed captain for the West Indies tour (in 1971).' 'But Mr Vijay Merchant (the then chairman of the selectors) didn't like me nor did he like 'Tiger' Pataudi. He thought we were far too flamboyant.' 'He made Ajit Wadekar captain.'
Sunil Gavaskar completed 50 years of his association with Indian cricket on Sunday -- five decades in which he has remained ever-relevant taking on a variety of roles.
Mumbai schoolboy Pranav Dhanawade was awarded a monthly scholarship for five years from the Mumbai Cricket Association, a day after becoming the first batsman in the world to notch a four-figure innings.
'If fame, money and comfort are the only factors that drive us, then we are playing cricket for entirely the wrong reasons.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances