Top Ranji wicket-taker Rajinder Goel passes away

Kolkata: Domestic cricket stalwart Rajinder Goel died on Sunday after suffering from illness for quite some time. He was 77 and breathed his last at his residence.

Left-arm spinner Goel never managed to break into the Indian team despite taking 750 first-class wickets in a 24-year career for Haryana. Goel also holds the record for most wickets in the Ranji Trophy. He leads the tally with 637 wickets.

Goel received the C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for his service to Indian cricket.

"It is a huge loss for the game of cricket and a personal loss for me which has left a huge void. He was one of the best, if not the best left-arm spinner that this country has seen and his record of 750 first-class wickets speaks for his tremendous ability," former BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra said.

"He represented Haryana, Delhi and Punjab in the Ranji Trophy. His contribution to the game post his retirement was massive and he would eagerly watch even an inter-district game in search for talent and remained the pivot for selection of Haryana cricket teams till he regretfully laid down his office on account of the Lodha recommendations.

"He was a thorough gentleman who remained active till the very end. In his passing, the cricket world has lost one of its finest jewels. I will miss him deeply," he added.

"Rajinder Goel ji was a legend and one of the strongest foundations of the Haryana Cricket Association. His contribution to the development of cricket and identification of talent in Haryana is immense. On behalf of the Association, I mourn his passing and extend our condolences to Sh. Nitin Goel and his family," Haryana Cricket Association President Kultar Singh Malik said.

Born to an assistant station master in the Indian Railways, Goel first tasted success for North Zone schools in 1957 when he snared four wickets against West Zone in the final of the all-India schools tournament and was declared the best bowler of the tournament.

He made his Ranji debut in the next season. He began his first-class career with Patiala, which then evolved into the Southern Punjab team. He moved to Delhi in 1963 and Haryana 10 years later.

Goel never played for India officially but appeared against Ceylon in an unofficial Test at Ahmedabad in 1964-65 where he took four wickets in the second innings. He never got a look in because of Bishan Singh Bedi who bowled in a similar style.

"Hard work, practice, and some intellect on how to play the batsman -- these are mandatory. Without practice you will not be able to master line and length, which are key to defeat the batsman," he had said to ESPNCricinfo in 2017 when asked what constitutes a good spinner.

There was a time when Bedi was axed from the Indian team for the Bangalore Test against the West Indies in 1974-75. Goel got a look in but as fate would have it, he was excluded at the last moment. He also bagged 6/102 and 3/43 against the touring Australians in 1979-80.

Goel tormented the batsmen from the 1960s to the late-1980s with his guile.