Former BCCI chief selector Kishan Rungta succumbs to COVID-19

Former national chief selector and Rajasthan captain Kishan Rungta succumbed to the coronavirus at a hospital in Jaipur on Saturday. He was 89.

Kishan Mahabirprasad Rungta in action during a match on March 25, 1963.

Former BCCI chief selector and Rajasthan captain Kishan Rungta succumbed to the coronavirus at a hospital in Jaipur on Saturday. He was 89.

The veteran administrator had tested positive for the virus last week. "He was down with COVID-19 for the last eight days and prior to that, he was not keeping well for a couple of days. Once the positive reports came, we immediately admitted him in a hospital and he succumbed this evening," his nephew Kishore Rungta - a former BCCI treasurer - told  Sportstar .

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Before taking up cricket administration, Rungta played First Class cricket for Maharashtra and Rajasthan from 1953/54 to 1969/70. And after retirement, he served in the national selection panel and during his tenure, he had suggested the idea of recording selection meetings to ensure transparency. 

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In 1997, Rungta, M.P. Pandrove, Shivlal Yadav and Sambaran Banerjee were part of the selection committee led by Ramakant Desai. The panel had asked Sachin Tendulkar to resign as captain after Test series defeats in South Africa and the West Indies followed by a poor four-nation tournament at Sharjah. He was replaced by Mohammed Azharuddin, whom Tendulkar had replaced in 1996.

His elder brother P.M. Rungta was the chief of the Indian cricket board.