Tue Mar 04 08:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Mumbai Cricket Mourns the Loss of Legendary Spinner Padmakar Shivalkar
**Mumbai, March 4** – Padmakar Shivalkar, a legendary left-arm spinner who played for Mumbai for two decades, passed away on Monday at the age of 84. His death has sent shockwaves through the Indian cricket community, with tributes pouring in from former teammates and officials alike.
Shivalkar, a stalwart of Mumbai cricket for 20 years (1961-1988), amassed an impressive 589 wickets in 124 first-class matches, including 42 five-wicket hauls and 13 ten-wicket hauls. His career highlight arguably came in the 1972-73 Ranji Trophy final against Tamil Nadu, where he took 8 for 16 and 5 for 18, helping Mumbai secure their 15th consecutive title.
Despite his remarkable domestic success, Shivalkar never played for India, a fact lamented by Sunil Gavaskar, who considered Shivalkar one of his idols and included him in his book “Idols.” Gavaskar stated, “One of my regrets as India captain is not being able to convince the national selectors to include ‘Paddy’ in the Test team. He deserved the India cap far more than some others who got it.” He described Shivalkar as a bowler who consistently dismissed top opposition batsmen and orchestrated Mumbai’s victories.
Ajinkya Naik, president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), called Shivalkar a “true legend” and praised his unparalleled contribution to Mumbai cricket. Shivalkar was the recipient of the prestigious C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Shivalkar’s passing comes shortly after the death of another Mumbai cricket stalwart, Milind, leaving a significant void in the cricketing community. His legacy as one of India’s finest spinners will undoubtedly be remembered for generations to come.
First Piper 