So long, sir and thanks for all the coaching

Shivaji Park, the Mumbai cricket nursery, wore a deserted look on Thursday morning after the cavalcade carrying the body of legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar left for the nearby Chaityabhoomi, where he was to be cremated.
Achrekar died due to age-related illness on Wednesday evening at his home overlooking Shivaji Park. He was 86.

Achrekar's last journey from his home to Kamath Memorial, the wicket in Shivaji Park, where he nurtured and nourished many a legendary cricketing careers to the final destination was nothing short of celebrations where stars descended to celebrate their coach's last journey.

A teary-eyed Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar led the journey along with many of Achrekar's students, remembering the days when his coach would take him from one practice to another, one match to another on his scooter. The number of hours at the ground and efforts put in by Achrekar made Tendulkar what he is now.

It was an emotional journey for Tendulkar, who was by his coach's side from the beginning — carrying Achrekar's body on his shoulders to the van till the pyre was lit.

The former India captain was accompanied by other Achrekar's students — Vinod Kambli, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Chandrakant Pandit, Praveen Amre, Amol Muzumdar, Ramesh Powar and many more.

At the brief halt, Tendulkar and Co one after another picked up Shivaji Park's soil and put it in Achrekar's feet, out of respect.

(Sachin Tendulkar (right) and former India cricketer Chandrakant Pandit carry Ramakant Achrekar’s body from his residence—Hemant Padalkar/DNA)

On the coach's final exit from Shivaji Park, Atul Ranade, one of his many students, gave a guard of honour with the help of young cricketers, amid the chants of 'Achrekar Sir, Amar Rahe'.

There were known and unknown faces, and then there were students too who were not coached by Achrekar who came to bid adieu to 'Sir'.

"I was not coached by Achrekar sir, but Tendulkar's copybook batting itself was a lesson in cricket which helped many of us," said one of the mourners.

A former cricketer and Shardashram High School alumni Jwala Singh, who runs a cricket academy now, also recollected how Achrekar helped him when he came to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh to chase his cricketing dreams.

"Those days are still etched in my memory when Achrekar Sir helped me get admission in Shardashram. I came to Mumbai to play cricket and Achrekar sir easily convinced my father to leave me in Mumbai to pursue cricketing career. He was impressed with my stint in the nets while playing with his boys on the first day itself," said Singh, a left-arm pacer.

Every individual present there had a story to tell of Achrekar and these recollections added on as one walked from his home to the crematorium.

Former BCCI administrator, Ratnakar Shetty, stood testimony to Achrekar's greatness. "He was a big name in the world of cricket who gave a lot of cricketers to the Indian team. Not just the Indian team, but also to Mumbai. We call Sachin as God of cricket who was his (Achrekar's) creation. So many cricketers coming for his last journey is actually a certificate is all that he has done for them."