Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya, hailed as the architect of India's rise as the game's financial superpower, passed away at a private hospital in Kolkata on Sunday. He was 75. His last rites were performed in Kolkata on Monday afternoon. He was given full state honours at his funeral. The who is who of Indian cricket paid their last respect to the departed leader.
Dalmiya, who had also served as president of the International Cricket Council (1997-2000), was admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack on Thursday last. A businessman known for his marketing acumen, Dalmiya was a key figure in bringing the 1987 and 1996 cricket World Cups to the sub-continent. He took over as BCCI president for a second time earlier this year, after a gap of nearly a decade, but had not been keeping well for the past few months.
A key figure in the BCCI ever since he joined it in 1979, Dalmiya played a major role in helping it to emerge as the wealthiest cricket board in the world. His stint as the first Asian head of the ICC marked a shift in the game's balance of power from the old superpowers, England and Australia, towards Asia, particularly India. It was a controversial tenure, but even his detractors acknowledged that he opened their eyes to the game's revenue-making potential.
BCCI sources said board secretary Anurag Thakur would soon call for a special general body meeting to decide the way forward. Since Dalmiya was from East Zone, the next president will also have to be a nominee from the same zone.
Dalmiya was admitted to the BM Birla Heart Research Centre after suffering a heart attack. He underwent coronary angiography and a clot was aspirated out to establish good flow in coronary arteries. On Sunday afternoon, a procedure was done to implant two stents. Later, it looked like that he had taken the procedure in his stride.
In the evening his condition deteriorated and he suffered a massive cardiac arrest from which he could not recover. His last rites were performed in Kolkata on Monday afternoon. He was given full state honours at his funeral.
