Dubai: In a development that sent Mumbai cricket into a deep pall of gloom, former Mumbai captain and the closest friend of cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, Milind Rege, passed away on Wednesday morning in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest and renal failure. He was 76. He is survived by his wife Raj and two sons.
Rege, who suffered a heart attack at the age of 26, that effectively ended a promising cricket career, had turned 76 last Sunday (Feb 16). Presently, he was the cricket advisor of the Mumbai Cricket Association.
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For around three decades, Rege, who was deeply passionate about Mumbai cricket, served as the Mumbai chief selector/selector, and was a part of the MCA’s Cricket Improvement Committee. In fact, he was a part of the selection committee which first picked the legendary Sachin Tendulkar for Mumbai back in the 1988-89 season.
An off-spinning allrounder who played for Mumbai in a ‘golden era’ of their cricketing dominance when they clinched 13 successive Ranji Trophy titles, Rege played 52 first-class matches from 1967-68 to 1977-78, in which he took 126 wickets at an average of 29.23, with two five-wicket hauls, and scored 1532 runs @ 23.56, with a top score of 67 not out.

A resident of Prabhadevi, Rege went to St Xavier’s High School and St. Xavier’s College with Gavaskar, and became best friends with him. In fact, it was at Rege’s insistence that Gavaskar became an opener from his inter-school cricket days.
Paying a rich tribute to Rege, former batter and India’s 1983 World Cup hero Sandeep Patil told TOI, “My support system of life has gone today. At my book release function (last year at the Cricket Club of India), he told me: ‘See you in Kolkata.’ I was waiting for him to visit me! He played a very very important role in my life on and off the field. He and his wife Raj stood behind me in my trying times. Mumbai has lost its biggest supporter. His contribution in helping and building carriers of young talent will remain unmatched! He remained loyal to Dadar Union, CCI and the MCA. Even in his late days, he always wanted to be part of Mumbai cricket as a long-serving selector and administrator! I will keep missing him.”
“Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Milind Rege Sir. A stalwart of Mumbai cricket, his contributions as a player, selector, and mentor were invaluable. His guidance shaped generations of cricketers, and his legacy will forever be cherished. May his soul rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. It’s a personal loss for me. He stood behind me all the time,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik told TOI.

He played for Tata SC, the famed Dadar Union club and Cricket Club of India. He later became the head of Tata Steel’s Corporate Communications, Administration and Personnel functions.
Last month, the MCA had, on the occasion of Wankhede Stadium’s 50th anniversary, honoured the eight surviving members of the Mumbai team which played the first-ever first-class match at the iconic venue, back in 1974 (Nov 17-19) against Baroda. Rege was a member of that Ashok Mankad-captained team, which included Gavaskar, Farokh Engineer, Karsan Ghavri, Ajit Pai, Padmalkar Shivalkar, Abdul Ismail and Rakesh Tandon.

Rege had scored a crucial half-century (63) in that match, which Mumbai won by an innings & 96 runs. Rege was also a part of Mumbai’s famous Ranji Trophy triumph in April 1971, when the domestic giants, captained by a young Sudhir Naik, beat a heavily favoured Chandu Borde-led Maharashtra in a thrilling final at the Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium by 48 runs, despite missing five of their top stars who were away in the West Indies.
Rege was also a TV commentator in domestic cricket.