Former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi passed away on Monday due to cardiac arrest in London. He was 77 and survived by his wife Kalindi, son Nayan, who also played first-class cricket, and daughter Vishakha. India legends Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri, among other veteran cricketers, were deeply saddened by the news.
Taking to social media, Sachin recalled his first meeting with Doshi in 1990 and that he bowled to him at the nets in preparation for the tour.
“I met Dilipbhai for the first time in the UK in 1990, and he bowled to me in the nets on that tour. He was really fond of me, and I reciprocated his feelings. A warm-hearted soul like Dilipbhai will be deeply missed. I will miss those cricketing conversations which we invariably had. May his soul rest in peace. Om Shanti,” Sachin wrote.
Former India captain Anil Kumble was among the first to pay his tribute to the late cricketer. “Heartbreaking to hear about Dilip bhai’s passing. May God give strength to his family and friends to bear this loss. Nayan, thinking of you buddy,” he wrote on X. Here are some of the other tweets from the cricketing fraternity…
Doshi made his India debut in 1979 following the retirement of the legendary Bishan Singh Bed and made his final appearance in the format in 1983. He played 33 matches and took 114 wickets with six five-wicket hauls. His career included three impressive home seasons, during which he completed 100 wickets in just 28 matches. However, his best performance came at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1981, when he picked up a five-wicket haul to help India win. He had bowled with a fractured toe and was literally unplayable on an up-and-down MCG track.
Doshi was also a known figure in County cricket, having been part of it for more than a decade, where he represented Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire.
“Dilip bhai suffered a heart attack in London. He is no more,” Saurashtra CA president Jaydev Shah told PTI.
“Dilip’s passing away is a personal loss to me. He was like a family. He was one of the finest human beings,” former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said.
Doshi also played 15 matches in the ODI format, between 1980 and 1982, picking 22 wickets at 23.81.