Ajit Wadekar- The King Who Never Lost His Cool

There was an assurance in the way Ajit Wadekar told his players what he expected. Not once did we get the feeling of fear or a sense of insecurity.

- Milind Rege

As the news came in of our captain Ajit Wadekar passing away, it numbed my generation. We’d spent so much of our careers playing under him and for him. The Bombay and Mumbai teams have boasted of some great leaders, but to pick Ajit as the best would only be fair, for my generation was baptised in first­class cricket under his care and leadership.

To appear closed, uncommunicative or even reticent may have its own advantages, if one looks at the space it gives you to think for yourself and get guidance when you need it. Ajit had that quality to step in when you needed his helping hand as a captain. Managing people is an art, and doing so without saying too much can be comforting yet strategic. My skipper had that quality to speak little, but when he did speak, it was like pearls of wisdom in an otherwise understated conversation.

Ajit’s body language – be it his languid walk to the centre with bat in hand or leading a team out – made a strong statement. It was one of complete control and understanding of the situation.

Never the demonstrative type, Ajit once put his arms around Karsan Ghavri and me during a Ranji Trophy quarterfinal game when we were trailing by 100 runs and had lost five wickets with just about wiping off the deficit. Ajit said, “Fight it out and save us.”