Anant Solkar

Anant Dhondu Solkar (19 September 1951 – 26 May 2024) was an Indian first-class cricketer. He was the younger brother of Test cricketer Eknath Solkar.

Life and career Born on 19 September 1951 in Pawas, Maharashtra, Solkar played as a bowling all-rounder who batted right-handed and bowled off spin. He had five siblings (including Eknath Solkar) and his father was a groundsman at the Hindu Gymkhana in Bombay. In a Harris Shield match in 1968, he scored 396 and took 6/28. This is regarded as the best all-round performance in school cricket.

After his cricket career, Solkar became an alcohol addict. He recollects, "I don’t know what happened. There was nothing left in my life after cricket. I was slowly becoming addicted to it. My day would start and end with it." In 1986, his 15-year-old daughter died of blood cancer. Solkar, who was employed with Tata Electric, quit his job in 1987. and worked as an umpire in local matches between 2001 and 2009. He then started to coach young cricketers free of cost in Mumbai.

Solkar died on 26 May 2024, at the age of 72.