Death of that unknown Mumbai cricketer, whom even Sachin Tendulkar considered as 'God'
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Anil Gurav Death: Anil Gurav died on 31 March 2026 at the age of 61. The man once known as Mumbai's Viv Richards, who lent Sachin Tendulkar the bat with which he scored his first competitive century, was caught by police searching for his gangster brother and beaten until he could no longer stand.
Sachin scored his first competitive century with the bat of Anil Gurav.
Mumbai: Anil Gurav, one of the early disciples of Dronacharya Award winning coach late Ramakant Achrekar, is no more. Gurav, considered one of Achrekar's best disciples, was never able to progress beyond club level cricket and make a place in the Mumbai team. He died at his residence in Nalasopara here on Tuesday.
Sachin learned batting by watching Gurav
Known among his friends as 'Vivian Richards of Mumbai' because of his batting, he could never reach that position due to some wrong choices and he regretted it throughout his life. Gurav was a few years senior to legendary batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli at Shardashram Vidyamandir. It is said that coach Achrekar used to take these two batsmen, who later represented India, to watch Gurav bat in the nets. Nadeem Memon, a veteran curator and councilor of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), recalled:
Achrekar Sir used to ask Sachin and others to watch Gurav bat in the nets. He was a player from whom a lot could be learned. He was one of the most favorite disciples of Achrekar sir. His friends called him 'Mumbai's Vivian Richards' not only because his square cut resembled Vivian's but also because he was an equally excellent batsman on the leg side.
Despite having talent, could not play senior cricket
Despite his talent, Gurav could never reach the senior level. He played cricket at the Under-16 and Under-19 level and also represented Achrekar's 'Sassanian Cricket Club' and 'Kamat Memorial'. It is also believed that Gurav gave his bat to Sachin Tendulkar during his school days, with which the great batsman scored his first century in competitive cricket.
Ruined life due to alcohol addiction
It is said that Gurav's brother Ajit was involved in some illegal activities, due to which his family had to face a lot of trouble from the police. While on one hand his cricket career never took off, on the other hand Gurav got addicted to drinking and gradually moved away from the game.
(with inputs from agency)
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Anshul Talmale is captaining the sports desk of Network18 Group from February 2025, wearing the jersey of Deputy News Editor. His unbeaten innings continues for the last decade with a tremendous strike rate. With his all-round ability…read more
