List of Indian Cricketers trained by coach Ramakant Achrekar, Ft. Sachin Tendulkar

Ramakant Achrekar was one of the most respected cricket coaches in India. He trained and guided several talented cricketers at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, including Sachin Tendulkar. His coaching helped many young players develop their skills and build successful careers in Indian cricket.

Achrekar started his coaching journey after his playing career did not go as planned. He dedicated himself to training young cricketers and focused on discipline, hard work, and improving their game. His contribution to cricket was recognised with the Dronacharya Award and the Padma Shri.

In this article, we will share the complete list of Indian cricketers trained by coach Ramakant Achrekar, including Sachin Tendulkar. We will also look at the players he guided and how his coaching played an important role in shaping their cricket careers.

9. Lalchand Rajput

Lalchand Rajput was one of the prominent cricketers trained by legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. He was considered a talented top-order batter and made his Test debut for India in 1985. Rajput scored 32 and 61 in his debut Test against Sri Lanka, but his international career was limited to two Tests and four ODIs.

Rajput enjoyed a successful career in domestic cricket, scoring more than 7,900 runs in 110 first-class matches, including 20 centuries. After retiring from cricket, he moved into coaching and administration. He also worked with the Mumbai Cricket Association and coached the Mumbai Indians during the first IPL season.

Rajput later served as the head coach of India, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates. He was the manager of India's team during the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, when India became the first champions. In 2024, he was appointed head coach of the UAE national team.

8. Chandrakant Pandit

Chandrakant Pandit was another prominent cricketer trained by legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar. He trained under Achrekar at Shardashram Vidyamandir and Shivaji Park in Mumbai, where he developed a strong work ethic and disciplined approach to the game. Pandit later represented India in five Tests and 36 ODIs during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Pandit had a successful domestic career and scored more than 8,000 runs in first-class cricket, including 22 centuries. He was also a wicketkeeper and showed his skills behind the stumps during his international career. One memorable incident from his school days came when he scored a triple century but lost his wicket on the final ball of the day, leading to a strong scolding from Achrekar.

After retiring as a player, Pandit moved into coaching and became one of India's successful domestic coaches. He guided Mumbai to consecutive Ranji Trophy titles in 2003 and 2004 before leading Vidarbha to back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. In 2022, he helped Madhya Pradesh win their first Ranji Trophy title. He later guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024.

7. Ramesh Powar

Ramesh Powar was another prominent cricketer trained by legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. He became a successful spinner and represented India in two Tests and 31 ODIs. Powar took six wickets in Tests and 34 wickets in ODIs during his international career.

At the domestic level, Powar enjoyed a long career with Mumbai and played for the team for more than 16 years. He took 470 wickets and scored more than 4,000 runs in domestic cricket. After retiring from professional cricket in 2015, he moved into coaching and began working with the Indian women's team.

Powar first became the head coach of the Indian women's team in 2018 and guided them to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. He returned as head coach in 2021 before moving to the National Cricket Academy as a spin bowling coach in 2022. His coaching career has added another chapter to his contribution to Indian cricket.

6. Pravin Amre

Pravin Amre was one of the prominent students of legendary cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. He was part of the same generation as Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli and developed his cricketing skills under Achrekar. Amre made his Test debut for India against South Africa in 1992 and scored a century in his first Test.

Amre represented India in 11 Tests and 37 ODIs during his international career. He also enjoyed a successful domestic career, scoring more than 5,800 first-class runs, with a highest score of 246. He played for teams such as Mumbai, Railways, Rajasthan, Bengal and Boland in South Africa.

After retiring, Amre built a successful career as a coach. He guided India U-19 to the 2012 World Cup title and has worked with several talented players, including Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and Robin Uthappa. He also started Amre's Cricket Club in Mumbai and later helped Mumbai win two Ranji Trophy titles as head coach.

5. Ajit Agarkar

Ajit Agarkar was another notable cricketer trained by legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar in Mumbai. He started his cricket journey as a batter and was taken to Achrekar by his father. On his coach's advice, Agarkar changed schools in Grade 6 and joined Shardashram Vidyamandir to improve his cricket.

Agarkar showed his batting talent from a young age and scored a triple century in the Giles Shield at the age of 15. However, he later focused on bowling and became a successful fast bowler for India. He represented India in 26 Tests, 191 ODIs and four T20Is. He also scored a memorable Test century at Lord's.

After retiring from international cricket in 2013, Agarkar moved into administration and coaching. He later became the chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's men's selection committee in July 2023. His journey from a young batter trained by Achrekar to a key figure in Indian cricket is an important part of his career.

4. Sanjay Bangar

Sanjay Bangar was another talented cricketer who trained under legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar. He started his domestic career with Railways in the Ranji Trophy and soon became known as a dependable all-rounder. Bangar helped Railways reach consecutive Ranji Trophy finals and played an important role in their title win in 2002.

His consistent performances earned him a place in the Indian team. Bangar made his Test debut in 2001 and impressed with both bat and ball. He scored a crucial 68 at Headingley against England and also took two wickets as India secured a memorable away victory. He remained a successful domestic cricketer and became the first player to score 6,000 runs and take 200 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.

After retiring from cricket, Bangar moved into coaching. He worked with India A and also served as a consultant at the National Cricket Academy. In the IPL, he coached Kings XI Punjab and guided them to their first final in 2014. He later joined the Indian team as an assistant coach and continued to contribute to Indian cricket in a coaching role.

3. Balwinder Singh Sandhu

Balwinder Singh Sandhu was one of the Indian cricketers trained by legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar. Although his international career was short, Sandhu made a strong impact in Indian cricket. He made his Test debut against Pakistan and took two wickets before scoring an impressive 71 runs at No. 9. He later scored 68 against the West Indies and also took three wickets for 87 runs in Guyana.

Sandhu was not known for his pace but used his swing bowling effectively. His most famous moment came in the 1983 World Cup final against the West Indies, when he dismissed Gordon Greenidge with a brilliant delivery. He also made a valuable contribution with the bat, sharing a crucial 22-run partnership for the final wicket as India posted 183 in the final.

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Sandhu also performed well in domestic cricket and played an important role in earning his place in the Indian team. He took eight wickets and scored 56 runs for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy before taking a five-wicket haul in the Irani Trophy. He also scored 98 runs against Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy semi-final, showing his ability with the bat.

2. Vinod Kambli

Vinod Kambli was one of the most talented cricketers trained by legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar. He rose to fame alongside Sachin Tendulkar after the duo shared a record 664-run partnership in school cricket. While Tendulkar was known for his calm approach, Kambli was an aggressive batter who loved to attack the bowlers.

Kambli made his Test debut for India in 1993 and made an immediate impact. He scored consecutive double centuries and followed them with another century. He also became the first cricketer to score three consecutive centuries against three different teams in three different countries. In ODIs, he scored two centuries and remained an important batter for India for a period.

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However, Kambli's international career declined due to disciplinary issues and inconsistency. He played his last Test in 1995 and was never picked for India again after 2000. Despite his immense talent, Kambli's career remains one of the biggest examples of an Indian cricketer who could have achieved much more. His journey remains a memorable part of Ramakant Achrekar's coaching legacy.

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar was the most famous cricketer trained by legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar. His elder brother Ajit introduced him to Achrekar, who helped shape his skills through strict training and discipline at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Achrekar worked closely with Tendulkar on his batting technique, footwork and concentration from a young age.

Tendulkar went on to become one of the greatest batters in cricket history. He scored 34,357 international runs, including 100 centuries, during his illustrious career. He became the first batter to score 10,000 ODI runs and the first to score a double century in men's ODI cricket. He also holds several other batting records and remains one of India's biggest cricketing icons.

Tendulkar has always credited Achrekar for playing an important role in his development as a cricketer. The legendary coach's lessons and discipline stayed with him throughout his career. Even after achieving great success, Tendulkar continued to remember Achrekar and pay tribute to the coach who helped shape his journey from a young boy at Shivaji Park into a global cricket legend.