Sunil Gavaskar, chief adjudicator of the CEAT cricket rating awards, lavished praise on ‘lifetime achievement’ award winner Mohinder Amarnath at a glittering function on May 13.
“We go a long way. We have known each other from the days we played the Cooch Behar Trophy and for the Indian Schoolboys. Jimmy (Mohinder) was the best Indian batsmen in the mid-80s.
“He scored 584 runs against Pakistan when Imran Khan took 40 wickets, and scored 598 runs against the fiercest West Indies fast bowlers, both in the 1982-83 season.
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“I don’t think any other batsman played fast bowling as well as Jimmy did during that time. He taught us how to play fast bowling,” said Gavaskar.
Bright chance for India
The batting maestro spoke about the brilliant finish to another IPL season and said he was looking forward to India winning the World Cup.
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“I think we have the best possible chance and opportunity to do that. The way we have been combining and playing, I think we have a good chance,” said Gavaskar, who also remembered his first captain, Ajit Wadekar, who died last August.
His wife Rekha received a special award.
Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Group, said: “2018-2019 has seen some scintillating cricket being played across the world with some outstanding individual performances.
“The CEAT awards felicitates these heroes who have not only entertained the audience worldwide but have also made their respective teams proud. Congratulations to all the winners. I wish the Indian cricket team the best for the upcoming World Cup.”