Former India captain and Baroda cricket legend Dattajirao Gaekwad has passed away at the age of 95. Gaekwad, the oldest living Test cricketer in India at the time of his passing, breathed his last in a Baroda hospital on Tuesday due to age-related illness.
Making his debut for India at Leeds in 1952 during the nation’s first post-Independence tour of England, Gaekwad played 11 Tests between 1952 and 1961, notably scoring a half-century against the West Indies in Delhi.
A prolific batsman at the domestic level, Gaekwad amassed 5788 runs from 110 first-class matches, including 17 centuries. His highest score of 249* against Maharashtra remains memorable, one among his three double-centuries at the first-class level. Gaekwad also led Baroda to a Ranji Trophy title in the 1957-58 season during his captaincy.
Notably, his son Anshuman Gaekwad also represented the country in 40 Test matches and later served as the coach of the Indian national cricket team during the 1990s.
