Former India Player & Gavaskar’s Opening Partner Chetan Chauhan Passes Away

New Delhi: Former India opener and Uttar Pradesh’s Home Guard minister Chetan Chauhan breathed his last at a Gurugram hospital on Sunday after suffering from multi-organ failure.

The 73-year-old Chauhan had tested positive for COVID-19 last month and had not fully recovered from the infection when he had a kidney failure and blood pressure problems. He had to be put on ventilator on Friday night.

He had been initially admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi PGI Hospital in Lucknow, before being shifted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.

One of the batting mainstays of the Indian team in the 1970s, Chauhan played 40 Test matches between 1969 and 1978, scoring scored 2,084 runs. He formed a solid partnership with Sunil Gavaskar and was the Little Master’s longest-serving opening partner.

He also played seven One-Day Internationals for India.

Born in Uttar Pradesh, Chauhan moved to Maharashtra in 1960 where he developed an interest in cricket. He was selected in the Maharashtra Ranji side in 1967 and, two years later, made his Test debut against New Zealand.

An Arjuna Award winner, Chauhan made 179 first-class appearances, included a few outings for Delhi during the later stages of his career.

He was also vice-president of Delhi & District Cricket Association.

Post retirement, Chauhan took the plunge in politics and was a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Amroha. He was part of Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet in UP, being in charge of Sainik Welfare, Home Guards, PRD and Civil Security ministry. He had also served as sports minister in the state last year.