The man who taught cricket to god, Ramakant Achrekar passes away

Ramakant Achrekar, the first coach of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar passed away at the age of 87 in Mumbai. The popular coach from Mumbai has also coached several other Indian cricketers including Vinod Kambli, Praveen Amre and Ajit Agarkar.

Achrekar: A legend in his own 

Ramakant Achrekar featured in just one first-class game but his contribution to the game was highlighted by the cricketers he coached.

The BCCI expresses its deepest sympathy on the passing of Dronacharya award-winning guru Shri Ramakant Achrekar. Not only did he produce great cricketers, but also trained them to be fine human beings. His contribution to Indian Cricket has been immense. pic.twitter.com/mK0nQODo6b

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 2, 2019

He has trained young cricketers at Dadar’s Shivaji Park ground for decades and this is the place where legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar learned the first lessons in batting.

Achrekar’s greatness can be understood by the fact that at one time three of his students were part of India’s national cricket team- Sachin, Kambli and Praveen Amre.

Honours and awards received by Achrekar

He was honoured with the Padma Shri – the fourth highest civilian honour in India and the Dronacharya Award by the Indian government. He also received the “Lifetime Achievement” award by the Sports Illustrated by Gary Kirsten.

My heartfelt condolences on the passing away of #RamakantAchrekar Sir , who was instrumental in giving a jewel to Indian cricket. pic.twitter.com/qUZzG5Guf9

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) January 2, 2019

Sir taught me to play straight, live straight: Sachin pays tribute to his coach

Tendulkar feels that cricket in heaven will be enriched with Achrekar’s presence. He revealed that like many of Achrekar’s students, he learned his ABCD of cricket under Sir’s guidance.

Happy #TeachersDay! The lessons you taught me have always served me well. Sharing an incident with you all that changed my life! pic.twitter.com/J1izUvPG3C

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 5, 2017

He also stated that Achrekar’s contribution to his life cannot be captured in words. He built the foundation that he stands on. Tendulkar recalled that last month, he met sir along with some of his students and spent some time together. They also shared a laugh as they remembered the old times.

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Tendulkar added that Achrekar sir taught them the virtues of playing straight and living straight. The Indian cricketer thanked him for making him a part of his life and enriching him with his coaching manual.