One of the giants of Indian and Mumbai cricket breathed his last on Monday.
The former Mumbai cricketer and renowned coach passed away at the age of 82 and is survived by his wife, retired professor Lalita, two daughters and his son Jatin, who is a former India cricketer and ex-national selector.
The Mumbai Cricket Association offered condolences to Paranjape’s family and thanked Paranjape for his immense contribution to the game.
“The Mumbai Cricket Association expresses profound grief on hearing about the sad demise of Shri Vasudeo Paranjape who passed away on 30th August 2021,”
“On behalf of the Apex Council members of MCA, all the member clubs as also the cricketing fraternity we condole his demise.”
secretary Sanjay Naik and joint secretary Shahalam Shaikh wrote in a note, as quoted by PTI.
A loyal servant of cricket, Paranjape played multiple roles in his six-decade-long journey, becoming a coach, selector, and mentor.
Known for his unwavering commitment to nurturing talent, Paranjape touched the lives of many of the Indian cricketers who went on to achieve greatness for the country, including legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar.
Tendulkar paid a befitting tribute to “Vasoo Sir” via a statement issued on Twitter upon his passing, going to the extent of saying that “I feel that a piece of me has left the world.”
Now part of many famous stories related to Tendulkar, the child prodigy then, the U-15 camp held in Indore a few years before even the Master Blaster’s debut in 1989 was overseen by Paranjape himself.
Gavaskar also has never missed an opportunity to express gratitude towards the man, who first gave him the globally stuck nickname “Sunny” and was a guiding light through his cricketing career.
