MUMBAI: Former wicketkeeper-batman Jaswant Bakrania, who had captained Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy, passed away in Bengaluru on Tuesday. He was 74.
Bakrania played 56 First-Class matches for Saurashtra and Gujarat from the 1970-71 season to 1983-84. He scored 3137 runs, with five centuries, with a highest score of 154 not out, besides taking 51 catches and effecting 12 stumpings. Bakrania played under batting legend Sunil Gavaskar for the West Zone team in the Duleep Trophy when former India skipper Ajit Wadekar was dropped from that side after India's disastrous tour of England in 1974.
"The Saurashtra Cricket Association expresses shock and grief at the untimely demise of Jaswant Bakrania. He was a prominent wicket-keeper batsman. He had also captained Saurashtra. He settled in Rajkot after coming from Africa and began his cricketing career. He then worked for IFFCO and gave his valuable contribution to the development of cricket. In his later years, he moved to Bengaluru. Everyone at the SCA conveys their heartfelt condolences to his brother Ashwin Bakrania and everyone in his family on the sad demise of Jaswant bhai and prays to the almighty to grant eternal peace to his noble soul. #rip," the SCA said in a statement on Tuesday.
