Mumbai spin legend Padmakar Shivalkar, regarded as one of India’s finest cricketers never to play for the national team, has passed away at 84. He died in Mumbai on Monday and is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
Shivalkar’s career ran parallel to that of Bishan Singh Bedi, limiting his opportunities for India. He was often compared to Rajinder Goel, Haryana’s left-arm spinner and the highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy history. Sunil Gavaskar, who played alongside him for Bombay, once expressed regret that he couldn’t convince selectors to pick Shivalkar and Goel for India.
A key figure in Mumbai’s dominant Ranji Trophy era, Shivalkar played in ten championship-winning campaigns between 1965-66 and 1976-77 and was part of the 1980-81 title-winning squad. Remarkably, he returned at 47 to play in the 1987-88 season. He made his first-class debut in 1962 against an International XI and impressed with a match haul of 7 for 173.
In a career spanning over two decades, he claimed 589 wickets in 124 first-class matches at an average of 19.69, including 361 wickets in the Ranji Trophy—still the highest for Mumbai. His best performance came in the 1972-73 Ranji final, where he took 8 for 16 against Tamil Nadu, helping Bombay win in just over two days.
BCCI president Roger Binny paid tribute, calling him a “true legend” whose contributions to Mumbai cricket will always be remembered. Similarly, spinner V Ramnarayan noted Shivalkar’s exceptional control and variations, which made him a truly formidable bowler. Moreover, Shivalkar himself took great pride in deceiving batsmen with flight and getting them stumped, which was a clear reflection of his mastery over spin.
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