Ramakant Vithal Achrekar (1932–2019) was an Indian cricket coach from Mumbai, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the development of Indian cricketing talent in the latter half of the twentieth century. He is best known for coaching Sachin Tendulkar, alongside several other cricketers who went on to represent India and the Mumbai domestic team.
Key facts
| Full name | Ramakant Vithal Achrekar |
|---|---|
| Born | 1932 |
| Died | 2019 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Cricket coach |
| Base | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Associated with | Shivaji Park, Kamath Memorial Cricket Club |
| Notable honours | Dronacharya Award (1990); Padma Shri (2010) |
Background
Achrekar was associated for decades with the cricketing culture of Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai, an area long considered a nursery of Indian cricket. He played a limited amount of competitive cricket himself but built his reputation primarily as a coach, training young cricketers from across the city under demanding, high-volume practice routines.
Coaching career
For much of his coaching life, Achrekar conducted training sessions at Shivaji Park, often supervising multiple practice matches simultaneously. He was associated with the Kamath Memorial Cricket Club and worked with a generation of Mumbai cricketers from school level upwards.
Among the cricketers commonly identified with his coaching are Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, Pravin Amre, Ajit Agarkar, Chandrakant Pandit, Sameer Dighe and Balwinder Singh Sandhu. His emphasis was on technique, discipline, and the regular pressure of match-style net practice rather than purely theoretical instruction.
Awards and recognition
- Dronacharya Award (1990) — India's highest honour for sports coaches, conferred by the Government of India.
- Padma Shri (2010) — one of India's highest civilian honours, recognising his contribution to sport.
Significance
Achrekar is regarded as a defining figure of the "Mumbai school" of batting, characterised by technical correctness, application, and the ability to bat for long periods. Through the cricketers he trained, his influence extended into Indian Test and One Day International cricket for several decades, and into the next generation of Indian coaches, several of whom were themselves his students.
Death
Achrekar died in 2019 in Mumbai. His passing was widely noted within the Indian cricketing community, with tributes from former pupils and from administrators of the Mumbai Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Related topics
References
- Wikidata entry: Q7288784