Gutsy Mumbai all-rounder Surekha Bhandare passes away

Surekha Bhandare

Former Mumbai women's team bowling all-rounder Surekha Bhandare, who helped Mumbai (then Bombay) win their second National Cricket Championship in 1979, passed away after a prolonged illness at her Dadar residence on Wednesday. She was 72.

Bhandare, who played 100-plus first-class games, was once selected for an India probables camp of 45 players. After her retirement, she got involved in coaching and groomed several cricketers apart from being a Mumbai selector.

Win-at-all-cost attitude

Arunadhati Ghosh, the former India all-rounder and Bhandare's teammate during the title triumph over Bengal, touched upon Bhandare's fighting qualities. "She was senior to me and we worked together as Mumbai selectors. Her knowledge and experience was quite useful. Her best quality was that she visited different grounds to watch girls playing. This gave us the right kind of inputs. She was a gutsy cricketer and wanted to win by hook or crook," Ghosh told mid-day on Wednesday.

Bhandare showcased her never-say-die attitude in the 1979 final at Jamshedpur, where seven Mumbai batswomen were dismissed for a duck. But Shobha Pandit's fine century and the 68-run 10th wicket stand between Bhandare and Ghosh helped them post a big total and win the decider.

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Ghosh recalled: "Bengal was dominating women's cricket as they won the Nationals five consecutive times. In that final, we were struggling as our senior players got out early. Then, Shobha scored a crucial century and later we [Bhandare and Ghosh] had a good 50-plus partnership. We backed each other and scored well to beat Bengal and win the final."

‘She was a blessing for girls'

Bhandare struck a fine bond with younger players, reckoned India cricketer Punam Raut, 33. "Surekha madam was a blessing, a big supporter of women's cricket. She emphasised on good match practice. She taught me crucial things like work ethic and discipline, which helped me a lot. Madam always helped girls financially and also helped many girls secure good jobs," Raut remarked.