Shivalkar, Mumbai's Legendary Spin Stalwart, Passes Away

Shivalkar, a highly skilled left-arm spinner, had a remarkable career spanning almost three decades, during which he played 124 first-class matches for Mumbai. He displayed exceptional talent by taking an impressive 589 wickets at an outstanding average of 19.69. In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Shivalkar was bestowed with the prestigious CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2017.

“He won the maximum matches for Bombay and West Zone. The most unfortunate thing was that he did not get to play for India,” former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar told HT.

Shivalkar made his Ranji Trophy debut in his early twenties in the 1961-62 season, and turned up for Mumbai until the late 1980s when he was in his late forties. His stellar first-class career – he also played 12 List A matches taking 16 wickets – featured 42 five-wicket hauls, with best bowling figures of 8/16.

An unsung hero of Indian cricket, Shivalkar’s rise as a crafty left-arm orthodox ran parallel to that of legendary left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi. Such was the class and longevity of Bedi as an India stalwart that the Test call-up Shivalkar deserved on the back of incredible domestic numbers and performances never came.

“One of my regrets as India captain is not being able to convince the national selectors to include ‘Paddy’ in the Test team,” Sunil Gavaskar said. “He deserved the India cap far more than some others who got it.”

Although the national cap was elusive, Shivalkar remained one of the great servants of Mumbai cricket, a pillar around which their domestic prowess strengthened through the period of dominance. Some of his finest spells came in high-stakes Ranji Trophy finals. Among the standout performances was against Tamil Nadu in the 1972-73 final in which he took 8/16 and 5/18 to bowl Mumbai to victory.

“He was the bowler who would get the best batter from the opposition out and set up wins for Mumbai. He could bowl the whole day with his economic run up and beautiful action,” Gavaskar said.

After his playing days, Shivalkar remained attached to Mumbai cricket in various capacities, including as coach and selector. He spent plenty of time identifying and nurturing talent in the maidans, most famously at Shivaji Park that has produced multiple Test cricketers.

“When we started our Shivaji Park Gymkhana Academy, we worked together for 10 years,” former India batter Pravin Amre said. “The goal was to produce at least one Test cricketer. We were happy that we managed to produce Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur from that batch.

“He was a very simple person and his coaching style was also the same. He was very loyal to the game,” Amre added.

“A wonderful, kind hearted man, a terrific bowler and a big inspiration in the early days of my career,” Ravi Shastri wrote on X.

“Mumbai cricket has lost a true legend today. Padmakar Shivalkar Sir’s contribution to the game, especially as one of the finest spinners of all time, will always be remembered,” Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Ajinkya Naik said.

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