'He bowled to me in the nets': Tendulkar’s emotional tribute to Dilip Doshi will leave you teary-eyed

Former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi passed away following a cardiac arrest in London on Monday, the Saurashtra Cricket Association confirmed. He was 77.

Sachin Tendulkar paid an emotional tribute on X, recalling their first meeting in the UK in 1990.

“I met Dilipbhai for the first time in the UK in 1990, and he bowled to me in the nets on that tour. He was really fond of me, and I reciprocated his feelings.

A warm-hearted soul like Dilipbhai will be deeply missed. I will miss those cricketing conversations which we invariably had. May his soul rest in peace. Om Shanti,” Tendulkar wrote.

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Doshi made his Test debut in 1979 after Bishan Singh Bedi’s retirement and went on to play 33 Tests until 1983, taking 114 wickets, including six five-wicket hauls.

He was especially effective at home in his early years, picking up 100 wickets in just 28 Tests. His most memorable performance came at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1981 when he bowled with a fractured toe and claimed five wickets to help India defend a modest target.

A stalwart in the English county circuit, Doshi played over a decade of county cricket for Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire. In the domestic circuit in India, he represented Bengal and Saurashtra and took an impressive 898 wickets in first-class cricket with 43 five-fors.

Former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah expressed his grief, calling Doshi’s death a personal loss. “He was like family and one of the finest human beings,” Shah said.Quiz: Who's that IPL player? Known for his pin-point accuracy and clever flight, Doshi often troubled top international batting line-ups. He was respected by teammates and opponents alike, although Pakistan’s Javed Miandad famously teased him during matches by asking for his room number mid-game. After retiring, Doshi settled in London where he found success in business. Despite his vast experience, he was rarely tapped for a coaching or mentoring role in Indian cricket.