Madhav Laxmanrao Apte (1932–2019) was an Indian cricketer who represented India in Test cricket during the 1950s. A right-handed opening batsman from Mumbai, he is best remembered for his successful Test tour of the West Indies in 1952–53, after which his international career was unexpectedly cut short.
| Full name | Madhav Laxmanrao Apte |
|---|---|
| Born | 1932 |
| Died | 2019 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Opening batsman (right-handed) |
| Domestic team | Bombay (now Mumbai) |
| Format | Test cricket, first-class cricket |
Apte was born into a prominent Bombay family with strong sporting connections; his elder brother, Arvind Apte, also played first-class cricket and represented India in a Test match. Madhav Apte learned his cricket in Bombay, then the centre of Indian cricket, and progressed through school and university cricket into the Bombay Ranji Trophy side, which dominated Indian domestic cricket during the period.
Apte made his Test debut for India in the early 1950s as an opening batsman. His most notable contribution at the international level came on India's tour of the West Indies in 1952–53, where he scored consistently against a strong home attack and finished as one of India's leading run-scorers of the series, including a Test century.
Despite this success abroad, he was not retained in the Indian Test side for long afterwards, and his international career ended after a small number of Tests. He continued to play first-class cricket for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy and remained associated with the domestic game for many years.
After retiring from active cricket, Apte remained closely connected with the sport in Mumbai. He was associated with the Cricket Club of India (CCI) at the Brabourne Stadium, serving the institution in administrative capacities, and was respected as an elder statesman of Mumbai cricket. Outside cricket, he was involved in business in Mumbai.
Apte is frequently cited as an example of a batsman whose Test career was brief despite strong performances, and his 1952–53 tour of the West Indies is regarded as one of the better individual returns by an Indian opener of that era. He is also remembered as part of the generation of Bombay batsmen who shaped the city's reputation for technically sound, patient batting.