Mumbai’s iconic cricket guru Ramakant Achrekar, who coached Tendulkar, Kambli, Agarkar among many others, dies at 86
Ramakant Achrekar lived all his life coaching at the iconic Shivaji Park here and he breathed his last at the same place, in his apartment overlooking the maidan, late on Wednesday.
The man known for giving Indian cricket a diamond in the name of — Sachin Tendulkar — succumbed to an age-related illness. He was 86.
Achrekar's contribution to Indian cricket has been immense. And Tendulkar wasn't the only one that the renowned coach gave to Indian cricket, but there were players like Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Vinod Kambli, Chandrakant Pandit, Praveen Amre, Ajit Agarkar, Sameer Dighe, Amol Muzumdar, Ramesh Powar and few more.
However, it is this Guru-Shishya relationship between Achrekar and Tendulkar that made it more special.
A simple man that Achrekar was, he would travel all around the Mumbai grounds on his scooter clad in a half-sleeved shirt and pants with Tendulkar at the pillion.
He was someone with a good eye for talent. So when Tendulkar's elder brother Ajit took him to Achrekar for coaching, it did not take long for the coach to identify the future of Indian cricket.
Sachin was only 11. Achrekar asked him to bat, but the youngster was nervous and did not perform up to his calibre. Ajit then asked coach to move away from the nets and watch from a distance. And the move worked as Sachin shed his inhibitions and played his natural game which only left the coach impressed.
There have been many cricketing folklores about the Guru and Shishya and one of them were where the latter would put a coin on the stumps and challenge his prodigy to bat without getting bowled. And his famous student played with discipline only to collect coins one after another in different sessions.
Who could forget the famous world record 664-run partnership between Tendulkar and Kambli in the Harris Shield finals against St Xavier's where they defied the coach's orders of declaring the innings in his absence.
Even after Tendulkar became a big name in world cricket, he would go back to his sir for his suggestions and blessings. And Guru Purnima was one occasion where Achrekar's students would never forget to wish him for whatever he education he has given them on the field or off it.
Whenever Tendulkar was in town he would never failed to visit on the festival when the teachers are revered.
Achrekar was a coach who was never content or satisfied with his lad's performances. He expected more. In his farewell speech in Mumbai in 2013, a teary-eye Tendulkar conveyed his feeling to hear those words.
"Sir has never ever said 'well played' to me because he thought I would get complacent...Maybe he can push his luck and wish me now, well done on my career because there are no more matches, sir, in my life," Tendulkar had said after his 200th Test match.
Perhaps, that was not to be. But a humble Tendulkar did not fail to acknowledge his coach's contribution towards his career and did convey "Thank you for making us a part of your life and enriching us with your coaching manual. Well played Sir and may you coach many more."
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