Madhav Mantri (1921–2014) was an Indian cricketer who represented the India national cricket team in Test matches during the early 1950s. A wicket-keeper and right-handed batsman, he played first-class cricket for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy and was one of the prominent figures of post-independence Indian cricket. He was also the maternal uncle of Sunil Gavaskar.
| Full name | Madhav Krishnaji Mantri |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 September 1921 |
| Died | 23 May 2014 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Wicket-keeper, right-handed batsman |
| Domestic team | Bombay |
| Format | Test cricket, first-class cricket |
| Test debut | 1951, against England |
Mantri was born in 1921 and developed his cricket in Bombay, then the leading centre of Indian cricket. He came up through the strong Bombay club and university circuit, and established himself as a dependable wicket-keeper for the Bombay side in the Ranji Trophy during the 1940s and 1950s, a period in which Bombay dominated the domestic competition.
Mantri made his Test debut for India in 1951 during the Marylebone Cricket Club's tour of India. He went on to play four Test matches for India, including matches on the 1952 tour of England, where he served as the team's reserve wicket-keeper.
At the domestic level, Mantri was a long-serving member of the Bombay Ranji Trophy team. He featured in several Ranji Trophy title-winning campaigns during Bombay's pre-eminence in the competition, contributing both behind the stumps and as a useful middle-order batsman in first-class cricket.
After retiring from active cricket, Mantri remained closely associated with the game in Mumbai. He served on cricket administration bodies and was associated with the Cricket Club of India and the Bombay (later Mumbai) Cricket Association.
Mantri was the maternal uncle of Sunil Gavaskar, one of India's most celebrated batsmen. Gavaskar has often credited Mantri with shaping his early approach to the game and instilling discipline and technique during his formative years in Bombay.
Though his Test career was brief, Mantri is remembered as one of the early specialist wicket-keepers of independent India and as a stalwart of Bombay cricket during its golden era in the Ranji Trophy. His mentoring of younger players, most notably Gavaskar, extended his influence well beyond his own playing days.