'Deeply saddened': BCCI mourns the death of former Indian opening batsman Sudhir Naik

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed its grief on the passing of Sudhir Naik, a former India opener who died in Mumbai on Wednesday at the age of 78. Naik played three Tests and two ODIs for India, and he will always be remembered for hitting the first four for India in ODIs in England in 1974 at Headingley, Leeds.

Naik was a Mumbai stalwart who wore many hats and carried out various responsibilities. He famously led a depleted Mumbai to Ranji Trophy triumph in 1971 when the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Dilip Sardesai, and Ashok Mankad were creating history in the Caribbean. He played 85 first-class games and scored 4376 runs, including a top score of 200 not out.

"We are deeply saddened by the sad demise of Shri Sudhir Naik. His solid contribution - across decades - towards the game shall inspire everyone who wants to take up the sport. The BCCI prays for the departed soul and shares the grief of the family," said BCCI President, Roger Binny.

Jay Shah, secretary, BCCI: "I am pained to learn of the passing of Shri Sudhir Naik. This is a big loss and I express my condolences to his family, friends and everyone at the Mumbai Cricket Association. Shri Naik was really passionate and served the game in various capacities be it as a cricketer, coach, curator or administrator. He had a keen eye for talent and helped shape the careers of many cricketers."

After his playing days, Naik played an even bigger role in Mumbai. He managed the affairs of the National Cricket Club and was instrumental in shaping and nurturing the careers of Zaheer Khan, Wasim Jaffer, Nilesh Kulkarni, and many other players who went on to play for Mumbai. As the long-time chief curator of the Wankhede Stadium, Naik is also credited with getting the stadium ready for the ICC World Cup 2011.

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