Former India cricketer Chetan Chauhan passes away aged 73

Former India cricketer and UP Cabinet Minister Chetan Chauhan breathed his last at 4.15 pm today after suffering a cardiac arrest at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. He was put on ventilator support after suffering multiple organ failures yesterday. The 73-year-old Chauhan had contracted coronavirus last month and was yet to recover.

Even though Chauhan never scored a century in international cricket, he had carved a niche for himself by forming a great opening combination with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar through the 1970s. In fact, the duo has the best average among all Indian opening combos, till date.

Chauhan and Gavaskar batted together 59 times, amassing 3010 runs at an average of 53.75. Alhough Sehwag and Gambhir scored more runs together, they averaged 52.52. Among the 10 century stands the duo were a part of, the most famous one was the 213 at the Oval in 1979. Chasing 438, India finished on 429 for 8 on the back of Gavaskar’s 221 and a gritty 80 by Chetan Chauhan.

Chetan Chauhan was an all-rounder

Chauhan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amroha in 1991 and 1998. Credits: New Indian Express

Gritty he was, because having a 179-match first-class career encompassing 18 years is no trifling matter. Representing Maharashtra and later Delhi, Chauhan scored 11,143 runs at an average of 40.22, including 59 half-centuries and 21 centuries. He also represented India in seven ODIs, scoring 153 runs.

Chetan Chauhan also served as president of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) and was the manager of the Indian team on that infamous tour of Australia in 2008. India, however, won the Commonwealth Bank series for the first time on that trip.

Chauhan ended his playing career in March 1981 with 2084 runs at an average of 31.58 in 40 Tests. He also received the Arjuna Award in the same year.