Karsan Ghavri mourns ultra-disciplined former India U-19 captain Avi Barot’s death

Avi Barot, the former India U-19 captain, who was part of the Saurashtra team which won the last Ranji Trophy in the 2019-20 season, succumbed to a cardiac arrest on Friday. Barot was just 29.

Karsan Ghavri, the former India all-rounder, who was coach of that Ranji Trophy-winning outfit, didn't know what had hit him when he was told about Barot's passing on Saturday morning. "I'm too stunned to say anything," Ghavri told Sunday mid-day before recovering to remember the young batsman-wicketkeeper's disciplined ways. "Avi played the final [against Bengal]. He batted well in both innings and kept wickets superbly. He was disciplined to the point that he would have his meals by late evening and was one of the first to go to bed. He was a teetotaller and it's unbelievable that such a disciplined person could succumb to a cardiac arrest," lamented Ghavri.

PTI adds: "Avi was at home when he felt unwell. He was being rushed to the hospital and breathed his last inside the ambulance. He was a very lively boy and seeing his talent, I brought him to Saurashtra from Haryana where he started his first class career," Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) President Jaydev Shah told PTI. "Avi's father passed away at 42. He is now survived by his mother and wife who is four months pregnant. It will take a lot of time for me to accept this tragedy," Shah said.

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