Sunil Gavaskar blasts BCCI, Indian team for delay in wearing black armbands in memory of Dattajirao Gaekwad

Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the BCCI and Team India for not wearing black armband in memory of former India captain Dattajirao Gaekwad on Day 1 of the ongoing Test at Rajkot. Team India players wore black armbands in memory of Gaekwad on Day 3 (Saturday) of the ongoing Rajkot Test which started on 15 February.

Dattajirao, 95, passed away in a Baroda Hospital on 13 February.

“Team India will be wearing black armbands in memory of Dattajirao Gaekwad, former India captain and India’s oldest Test cricketer who passed away recently,” BCCI said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) before the start of play on Day 3.

Reacting to BCCI’s announcement, Gavaskar, on air said, “Better late than never… they should’ve done it on Day 1 but better late than never.”

It is to be noted that BCCI had paid tributes to the former India cricketer and father for ex-India player and coach Anshuman Gaekwad on X on 13 February. In its post, BCCI wrote, “The BCCI expresses its profound grief at the passing away of Dattajirao Gaekwad, former India captain and India’s oldest Test cricketer. He played in 11 Tests and led the team during India’s Tour of England in 1959. Under his captaincy, Baroda also won the Ranji Trophy in the 1957-58 season, beating Services in the final. The Board expresses its heartfelt condolences to Gaekwad’s family, friends, and admirers.”

Dattajirao was India’s oldest Test cricketer. He became the oldest living Test cricketer in 2016 after the death of former batter Deepak Shodhan at the age of 87 in Ahmedabad.

Dattajirao played in 11 Test matches for India from 1952 and 1961 and captained the side on the tour of England in 1959.

He also led Baroda to a Ranji Trophy title in the 1957-58 season with a win over Services in the final.