Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar paid tribute to former Mumbai captain and selector Milind Rege, who handed away in Mumbai on Wednesday.
“He was like my elder brother. We lived a building across each other and grew up together, went to the same school and college. Played tennis ball cricket in the compound. He played Ranji before me and like Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani have done for Mumbai this year, Milind always came to the rescue when we, the so-called top order, failed,” Gavaskar, who met Rege in hospital earlier than leaving for Dubai, stated.
He stated Rege was ok to play for India however (Erapalli) Prasanna and (Srinivas) Venkataraghavan had been round, so he couldn’t break into the staff. Then on the age of 24 he had his first coronary heart assault. Gavaskar additional stated it spoke volumes of Rege’s love for Mumbai cricket and dedication that he made a comeback a number of years later and even captained the staff.
“Last week after he was first admitted to the hospital, when I told him that Mumbai had taken a small lead against Haryana, you could see how he immediately perked up. For him, Mumbai cricket was his life. Yes, he had strong opinions and so may have upset a few people but nobody could question his love and commitment to Mumbai cricket,” Gavaskar stated.
“We have identified one another since we had been a number of months outdated, that’s why I gained’t give you the chance to bear the sight of his nonetheless physique and gained’t return for the funeral. It could sound egocentric on my half however I genuinely gained’t give you the chance to take the final rites of my elder brother.
Published – February 20, 2025 01:03 am IST
