TRIBUTE
Follow UsThink of Baroda (now Vadodara) and the name of Gaekwads – the erstwhile rulers of the region comes to one’s mind. And cricket in the city is no exception. Like many royal families of India, the Gaekwads provided ample support and nurtured the game in the city. One such Gaekwad (related to the royal family) was former Indian captain Dattajirao Krishnarao Gaekwad, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95.
In terms of having an impact on cricket in Baroda, there would hardly be any individual who would come close to DK Gaekwad. Incidentally, the city of Baroda got its name because of the presence of a large number of Banyan trees. And the outpour of emotions from his wards (many of whom went on to play for India) makes one think that he has indeed looked after the game of cricket in the city just like a Banyan tree.
The BCCI expresses its profound grief at the passing away of Dattajirao Gaekwad, former India captain and India’s oldest Test cricketer. He played in 11 Tests and led the team during India’s Tour of England in 1959. Under his captaincy, Baroda also won the Ranji Trophy in the… pic.twitter.com/HSUArGrjDF
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 13, 2024
For the records, he became India’s tenth Test captain on the tour to England in 1959 and led the team in four of the eleven Tests he played. He had not expected this and got the job when Hemu Adhikari, originally named to lead India, withdrew. In an interview to Sportstar, acknowledging this DK (as he was called) had once stated, “But all said and done, I never thought I would be named the captain.”
Nevertheless, as the captain of Baroda, he came out with flying colours. He led them to a Ranji Trophy triumph in the 1957-58 season. In the final of that season against Services, he had scored 132 and, along with Vijay Hazare, who made a double hundred (203), played a crucial role in the victory. There are many such happy moments he had with the Baroda team where he shined either with the bat or as a leader. Apart from being a player, he had been an able administrator, a strict disciplinarian coach, but most importantly, just a call away for any budding young cricketer looking for cricketing advice.
So, if we are to look at his contribution to the game in the city, we must go beyond the deeds on the 22 yards. He has been instrumental in shaping the cricketing careers of many players from Baroda. He has coached the likes of Kiran More, Nayan Mongia, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan, among others, in their formative years. Known for his discipline, the sight of his scooter and, later, blue Maruti car entering the Moti Bagh ground was enough to get the boys in line.
There was no respite, even if you were his son or grandson. To his credit, he has brought up two generations of cricketers at home. His son Aunshuman played for India (and later became the coach as well), while his grandson Shatrunjay represented Baroda in domestic cricket. His elder grandson, Aniruddha, works at the grassroots level by coaching youngsters at his cricket academy (Aunshuman Gaekwad School of Cricket).
The passion with which DK Gaekwad taught the youngsters the finer points of the game was evident in my meeting with him three years back. Aged 92 then, he had a sharp memory and would sometimes get up to demonstrate a technical point to me. Given that he is India’s longest-lived Test cricketer, it was not a surprise that he had umpteen tales to narrate from the bygone era.
Though his innings on earth has come to an end, his memories will be etched forever for his well-wishers. And as far as the young cricketers at Moti Bagh are concerned, they can be rest assured that when they take a break under the shades of the Banyan tree at the ground, DK Sir will be showering his blessings up from heaven.
