Anant Solkar

Anant Solkar
Personal information
Full name
Anant Dhondu Solkar
Born(1951-09-19)19 September 1951
Pawas, Bombay State, India
Died26 May 2024(2024-05-26) (aged 72)
Bandra, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm off break
RelationsEknath Solkar (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1972/73–1975/76Railways
1976/77–1980/81Maharashtra
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 26
Runs scored 628
Batting average 18.47
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 84*
Balls bowled 3,209
Wickets 63
Bowling average 23.96
5 wickets in innings 3
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 8/100
Catches/stumpings 30/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 18 March 2016

Anant Dhondu Solkar (19 September 1951 – 26 May 2024) was an Indian first-class cricketer. He was the younger brother of Test cricketer Eknath Solkar.

Life and career

Born on 19 September 1951 in Pawas, Maharashtra, Solkar played as a bowling all-rounder who batted right-handed and bowled off spin. He had five siblings (including Eknath Solkar) and his father was a groundsman at the Hindu Gymkhana in Bombay.[1] In a Harris Shield match in 1968, he scored 396 and took 6/28. This is regarded as the best all-round performance in school cricket.[2] He made his first-class debut in the 1972/73 season for Railways and, in the same season, registered his career-best bowling figures of 8/100 in a Ranji match against Delhi. He switched to his home state team Maharashtra in the 1976/77 season and represented it for five seasons. After getting dropped from the team, he quit playing cricket on the advice of his elder brother Eknath Solkar.[2] He finished with 26 first-class appearances in which he took 63 wickets at an average of 23.96.[3]

After his cricket career, Solkar became an alcohol addict. He recollects, "I don’t know what happened. There was nothing left in my life after cricket. I was slowly becoming addicted to it. My day would start and end with it." In 1986, his 15-year-old daughter died of blood cancer. Solkar, who was employed with Tata Electric, quit his job in 1987.[2] He came out of his alcohol addiction in 2007,[4] and worked as an umpire in local matches between 2001 and 2009. He then started to coach young cricketers free of cost in Mumbai.[2]

Solkar died on 26 May 2024, at the age of 72.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Eknath Solkar". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Joshi, Harit N (2 November 2014). "After battling alcohol addiction, Eknath Solkar's brother now coaching young cricketers". Mid Day. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Anant Solkar". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  4. ^ Thyagarajan, Roshan (7 January 2016). "The Tondulkars and Solkars who burned brightest and faded away". Wisden India. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  5. ^ Gupta, Gaurav (26 May 2024). "Eknath Solkar's brother Anant passes away". Times of India. Retrieved 29 May 2024.