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'They Should've...': Angry Gavaskar Slams India For Late Tribute To Dattajirao Gaekwad

image-lsprh6ozPlayers wearing black armband to pay tribute

Former Indian cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the Indian team management for their delayed response in honouring the former captain of the national side, the late Dattajirao Gaekwad, who passed away at the age of 95 in his hometown of Baroda on February 13.

IND vs ENG: Gavaskar slams delayed tribute to Dattajirao Gaekwad

The Indian team wore black armbands on the third day of their Test match against England in Rajkot, a gesture of tribute to Gaekwad, who was the oldest living Indian Test cricketer since the passing of Deepak Shodhan in 2016. However, this act of remembrance came only after the match had been underway for two days, a fact that did not sit well with Gavaskar.

Expressing his discontent, Sunil Gavaskar lambasted the team management for not initiating the tribute from the start of the Test, which began on Thursday, February 15. Despite the eventual acknowledgment on Saturday, February 17, as announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Gavaskar felt the recognition of Gaekwad's contributions should have been immediate.

"Better late than never... they should've done it on Day 1 but better late than never," said Gavaskar while commentating on Day 3 of the IND vs ENG 3rd Test.



Reflecting on Gaekwad's cricketing legacy, Gavaskar pointed out the former captain's leadership in a five-match series against England, noting that Gaekwad had captained the Indian team in four of those matches, with Pankaj Roy leading in one.

"He was captain of the Indian team in a five-match series. He captained four out of the five matches and the other one was captained by Pankaj Roy," added the Indian veteran.

It is worth mentioning that Gaekwad's illustrious career spanned 11 Test matches, including the significant 1959 tour of England. Under his captaincy, Baroda clinched the Ranji Trophy in the 1957-58 season by defeating Services in the final.