Ramakant Achrekar
Cricket coach
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Biography
Ramakant Vithal Achrekar (born 1932) is an Indian cricket coach from Mumbai. He is most famous for coaching young cricketers at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai. He has been a selector for Mumbai cricket team.
Early life and career
Ramakant Vithal Achrekar was born in 1932. Achrekar's playing career was not as distinguished as his coaching career. He started playing cricket in 1943. In 1945, he played club cricket for New Hind Sports Club. He also played for Young Maharashtra XI, Gul Mohar Mills and Mumbai Port. He played in only one first-class cricket match for all-India State Bank against Hyderabad in the Moin-ud-Dowla tournament in 1963–64.
His life and his inspiring career have been documented by journalist Kunal Purandare in the book, Ramakant Achrekar: Master Blaster's Master, the only biography of the renowned coach. The book has garnered critical praise from various publications, including the Wisden India Almanack.
Coaching career
He founded Kamath Memorial Cricket Club at Shivaji Park. He had coached & nurtured numerous cricketers, which includes the likes of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli & Pravin Amre. He had devoted himself in coaching, to uplift the Indian cricket standards. The club is currently run by his son-in-law Deepak Murkar & daughter Kalpana Murkar.
Awards and recognition
- In 1990, he was honoured with the Dronacharya Award for his services to cricket coaching.
- In 2010, he was conferred with Padma Shri, one of the country's highest civilian awards in sports category at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 7 April 2010 by the then Indian President Pratibha Patil.
- In 2010, on 12 February, he was awarded the 'Lifetime Achievement' award by Gary Kirsten, the then coach of the Indian Cricket Team. This award was part of the awards given away for various categories in sports by Sports Illustrated.