BCCI mourns the passing away of former India opener Sudhir Naik at 78

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expresses its profound grief at the sad demise of Sudhir Naik. The former India opener passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Naik, 78, played three Tests and two ODIs for India. It was Naik, who hit the first four for India in ODIs in England in 1974 at Headingley, Leeds.

A Mumbai stalwart who donned different hats and carried out various responsibilities, Naik, famously led a depleted Mumbai to Ranji Trophy triumph in 1971 when the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Dilip Sardesai and Ashok Mankad were creating history in the Caribbean. He played 85 first-class games and scored 4376 runs, including a top score of 200 not out.

Post his playing days, Naik played an ever-bigger role in Mumbai. Managing the affairs of the National Cricket Club, he was instrumental in shaping and nurturing the careers of Zaheer Khan, Wasim Jaffer and Nilesh Kulkarni, apart from a number of players who went on to play for Mumbai. A long-time chief curator of the Wankhede Stadium, Naik is also credited for getting the stadium ready for the ICC World Cup 2011.

Roger Binny, president, BCCI, said: "We are deeply saddened by the sad demise of Shri Sudhir Naik. His solid contribution - across decades - towards the game shall inspire everyone who wants to take up the sport. The BCCI prays for the departed soul and shares the grief of the family."

Jay Shah, secretary, BCCI: "I am pained to learn of the passing of Shri Sudhir Naik. This is a big loss and I express my condolences to his family, friends and everyone at the Mumbai Cricket Association. Shri Naik was really passionate and served the game in various capacities be it as a cricketer, coach, curator or administrator. He had a keen eye for talent and helped shape the careers of many cricketers."

--IANS

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