Ex-Dadar Union batter Vaidya no more

Amar Vaidya

Amar Vaidya, who turned 75 on the same day as his former Dadar Union teammate Sunil Gavaskar on July 10 last year, passed away on Saturday.

Amar, the son of Ankush ‘Anna' Vaidya, the man who coached Sandeep Patil and other cricketers at Shivaji Park, also turned to coaching after his playing career.

An attacking left-handed batsman, Amar represented the champion Dadar Union side of the 1970s and Young Maharashtra CC in later years. A kidney ailment prevented him from leading a healthy life. "RIP Puppy [Amar's nickname]," Patil said in response to the news of Amar's death. "He was a destructive batsman who could spoil the opposition's party," Patil told mid-day last year.

Former Test pacer Ajit Pai, who was Amar's Bank of Baroda teammate, was among the several cricketers present at Amar's funeral on Sunday at Shivaji Park.