Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar paid tribute to former Mumbai captain and selector Milind Rege, who passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday.
“He was like my elder brother. We lived a building across each other and grew up together, went to the same school and college. Played tennis ball cricket in the compound. He played Ranji before me and like Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani have done for Mumbai this year, Milind always came to the rescue when we, the so-called top order, failed,” Gavaskar, who met Rege in hospital before leaving for Dubai, said.
He said Rege was good enough to play for India but (Erapalli) Prasanna and (Srinivas) Venkataraghavan were around, so he couldn’t break into the team. Then at the age of 24 he had his first heart attack. Gavaskar further said it spoke volumes of Rege’s love for Mumbai cricket and determination that he made a comeback a few years later and even captained the team.
“Last week after he was first admitted to the hospital, when I told him that Mumbai had taken a small lead against Haryana, you could see how he immediately perked up. For him, Mumbai cricket was his life. Yes, he had strong opinions and so may have upset a few people but nobody could question his love and commitment to Mumbai cricket,” Gavaskar said.
“We have known each other since we were a few months old, that’s why I won’t be able to bear the sight of his still body and won’t return for the funeral. It may sound selfish on my part but I genuinely won’t be able to take the last rites of my elder brother.
Published - February 20, 2025 01:03 am IST
