Former cricketer Chetan Chauhan dies at 73

August 16: Former India cricketer Chetan Chauhan breathed his last on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest in the hospital he was admitted in. He was 73.

Chauhan, who in July had tested positive for the Covid-19, was yet to recover fully when a further infection affected his kidneys and caused blood pressure problems. After testing positive for Covid-19, Chauhan was hospitalised at the Sanjay Gandhi PGI hospital in Lucknow. He was later moved to Gurugram’s Medanta hospital when on Friday night, Chauhan’s condition deteriorated, after which the doctors put him on life support.

After ending his international cricket career, Chetan Chauhan moved on to politics and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Chauhan, who was also a cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh state government. Chauhan has served the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) in various capacities – president, vice-president, secretary and chief selector – apart from being manager of the Indian Team during their tour of Australia.

Chauhan played 40 Tests between 1969 and 1978 and scored 2084 runs at an average of 31.57 with 97 being his highest score. He also played in seven ODIs, scoring 153 runs from them. He and Sunil Gavaskar formed a successful opening partnership, scoring over 3000 runs together with 10 century stands in numerous Tests in the 1970s. Chetan Chauhan played Ranji Trophy for Maharashtra and Delhi and was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1981.