Mumbai: Veteran cricketer Madhav Apte died after suffering a cardiac arrest here on Monday morning, a family member said. He was 86.
The former India and Mumbai opener was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital where he breathed his last at 6.09 am, his son Vaman Apte told PTI. Madhav Apte played seven Tests in which he scored 542 runs, with a lone hundred and three fifties to his credit. His highest score was 163 not out.
He had a much better first class record where he scored 3,336 runs from 67 matches, including six hundreds and 16 fifties. His highest first class score was 165 not out. He made his Test debut against Pakistan at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai in November 1952 and played his last test against West Indies at Kingston in April 1953.
He was the first Indian opener to aggregate over 400 runs in a Test series (460 runs against West Indies in 1953). He also captained Mumbai in domestic cricket. Madhav Apte was assigned as the opening batsman by legendary Vinoo Mankad. He played along with several legendary cricketers, including Mankad, Polly Umrigar, Vijay Hazare and Rusi Modi. He earlier also served as president of the iconic CCI, an official said. Till his last breath, he was president of the ‘Legends Club’, a group formed to celebrate the achievements of different sportspersons.