Famous Cricketrt Yashpal Sharma passed away

A prominent member of the first Cricket World Cup winning team Yashpal Sharma is no more.

As you all know, Yashpal Sharma (11 August 1954 – 13 July 2021) was an Indian international cricketer. He was an explosive middle order batsman who played during the 1970s and 80s. He was a member of the India team that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup. 

He represented India in 37 Tests and 42 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1978 and 1985. His nephew Chetan Sharma was also a cricketer. He was fondly nicknamed the "Crisis Man for India" by former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar.

He served as India's national cricket selector from 2003 to 2006. During the tumultuous period of Indian cricket between 2005 and 2007, he supported Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly over the coach Greg Chappell and was also ousted from the selection committee in 2005. After being removed from national selection committee prior to the home series against Sri Lanka in 2005, he accused Chappell of questioning his integrity and interfering with selection of the team. However, Chappell remarked that his spat with Ganguly was "blown out of proportion" and went on to say, "He [Yashpal] was frustrated that he lost a job which he obviously wanted to keep. I had no part in him losing his job, but he had to take it out on someone."

He again became selector for the national team in 2008 and served until 2011. During his second tenure as selector, India won the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He later served as the coach for Uttar Pradesh Ranji Team. In 2014, he was appointed as the head of Delhi's cricket advisory committee.

In 2000, the Board of Control for Cricket in India conducted a day/night benefit cricket match in honour of Yashpal Sharma.

He was India's second highest run scorer after Kapil Dev in World Cup. His match winning sixty against England in the semi final will be remembered forever.

He always stood out for his guts and grit, on and off the pitch. Along with Chetan Chauhan, he has come to the rescue of three Sikh players of the North Zone team during a nerve racking train journey in the middle of the 1984 riots. After asking, Navjot Sidhu, Yograj Singh and Rajinder Ghai to hide in the compartment, a daring Sharma and Chauhan confronted a mob and made sure they didn't harm the three.

He passed away on 13 July 2021 at age 66 due to a massive heart attack.

Offering my homage and Shraddhanjali to his memory and my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. May he unite with paramatman and attains Moksha. Om Shanti.