Former Cricketer Yashpal Sharma Passes Away

Former Indian cricketer Yashpal Sharma who was a part India’s World cup 1983 team, died of heart attack on 13th July.

Former Indian cricketer Yashpal Sharma died of heart attack on 13th July. He was 66 and is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. Yashpal was one of the heroes in India’s World Cup triumph in 1983. He played a pivotal role in the cup by scoring 240 runs in the tournament. Yashpal first became famous when he scored 260 for Punjab schools against Jammu & Kashmir schools in 1972. Within two years, he was in the state team In Ranji Trophy, he represented three teams- Punjab, Haryana and Railways. Yashpal played 160 Ranji matches amassing 8,933 runs which included 21 centuries with a highest score of 201 not out. He was an umpire too and stood in a few of women’s ODIs. He also served as coach of the Uttar Pradesh Ranji team.

Yashpal made his international cricket debut in 1979 against England. He played from 1979 to 1983. During which Yashpal played 37 Tests for India and scored 1606 runs with two centuries and nine fifties. Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar expressed shock at his teammate’s demise. The 1983 squad had met for a book launch a couple of weeks ago. “It is unbelievable. He was the fittest among all of us. I had asked him that day when we met about his routine. He was a vegetarian, used to have soup for his dinner and was very particular about his morning walks. I am just shocked,” Vengsarkar said. Many former and current crickets, politicians, fans etc posted condolence messages on social media.

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