Lucky to have talked to him personally: Rohit Sharma remembers Aunshuman Gaekwad after the latter’s demise

He had a few things to talk about my game as well, which was overwhelming for me because he had been a great cricketer for India,” said Rohit.

Gaekwad represented his country in 40 Tests and 15 ODIs from 1975 to 1987. | Photo Credit: PTI

Rohit Sharma shared his heartfelt thoughts about former India cricketer and coach Aunshuman Gaekwad, who passed away on Wednesday. The Indian skipper also recalled interacting with him during his early days in First-Class cricket.

“I was devastated to hear the news. I was lucky to have had a few conversations with him when we had the BCCI awards. Also, on a personal note, when I was playing Ranji Trophy, he was there to watch, and I had a chance to speak to him. He had a few things to talk about my game as well, which was overwhelming for me because he had been a great cricketer for India,” said Rohit.

“It is always nice to learn from your seniors and understand how cricket was played back in the day, how tough it was, his experiences about how he played, and what his visions were for cricket. For me to understand that, it was a great learning experience at that point. I was lucky that I had few chances to meet and talk to him personally,” he added.

Gaekwad passed away on Wednesday, aged 71, after losing a long battle with cancer.

The former India coach represented his country in 40 Tests and 15 ODIs from 1975 to 1987. In June 2018, Gaekwad was awarded the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour conferred by BCCI on a former player.