Cricket guru, mentor to several Mumbai maidan doyens, dies aged 82

MUMBAI: Vasoo Paranjape was a colleague, father figure, coach, mentor and much more to generations of cricketers, making a lasting impact on the Mumbai maidans and Indian cricket. The former Mumbai player and renowned coach died on Monday aged 82.

He scored 785 runs in 29 first-class matches representing Mumbai and Baroda, but Paranjape’s contribution to cricket was as a guru. He played a crucial role in shaping the careers of Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma, among others.

From leading Mumbai’s Dadar Union Sports Club during its glory days in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a great mentor of talent, from Mumbai and around the country. His passion for the game and keenness to spot and nurture talent never waned.

Vengsarkar, who considers Paranjape his mentor, recollects how he dragged him to watch Sachin Tendulkar play in a Harris Shield inter-school tournament game. “I was playing in a Times Shield match at Parsee Gymkhana; around that time I was India captain as well. Vasoo came and insisted I go with him to have a look at Sachin, who was playing at CCI. He was so passionate about cricket, one could never say no to him,” recalls Vengsarkar. “A great motivator, legendary.”

A left-handed batsman and orthodox spinner, he was coach of many national youth teams and at the National Cricket Academy. The book “Cricket Drona: For the Love of Vasoo Paranjape”, co-authored by son Jatin and journalist Anand Vasu is a collection of writings by former cricketers with the man himself recounting his mentoring some of the stalwart players.

He put in a word about Rohit Sharma with junior chief selector Pravin Amre and senior panel head Kiran More after he scored his first century for Mumbai Under-17.

Tendulkar too had benefitted. “I am told Raj Bhai (the late Rajsingh Dungarpur, who was BCCI president and chief selector) made a call to Vasoo Paranjape Sir to enquire about me, and this got me my first break,” writes Tendulkar.

Gavaskar says in his foreword to the book: “Not only did Paranjape give a young Gavaskar his popular nickname of Sunny, he instilled the importance of the little things about the game—like wearing proper cricket attire, backing up for a throw, dragging the bat inside the crease—into the youngsters of the club.”

He is survived by wife Lalita, a retired professor, two daughters and son Jatin, former India player and national selector.