Salim Durani, the debonair India cricketer of the 1960s with a movie star looks, a puckish sense of humour, and a penchant for hitting monstrous sixes on demand, died on Sunday. Durani was the first ever cricketer to win the Arjuna Award. Durani was 88 years and was suffering from prolonged illness. He had undergone a proximal femoral nail surgery after he broke his thigh bone in a fall in January this year. He had been living with his younger brother, Jahangir Durani, in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Follow InsideSport.IN for Latest Sports Updates.
VVS Laxman of Salim Durani
India’s first Arjuna Award winning cricketer and a man who hit sixes on public demand, Salim Durani.
Om Shanti. Heartfelt Condolences to his family , friends and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/DwdKamlxjy
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) April 2, 2023
Salim Durani’s Career as a Star on and off the field
Durani was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and packed a punch with his bat. He was also a more than handy left-arm orthodox bowler, he played 29 Tests and was instrumental in India defeating England 2-0 in the historic five-match Test series in 1961-62, picking up eight and 10 wickets in the team’s victories at Calcutta and Madras.
Durani was known for his fine dressing style and swagger. Although, he had scored just one century though he had seven fifties in the 50 innings he played for the country, scoring 1,202 runs.
A decade after the epic triumph against England, he played a key role in helping India to victory against the West Indies in Port of Spain, dismissing both Clive Lloyd and Sir Garfield Sobers.
The star cricketer also dabbled in Bollywood, starring opposite renowned actor Praveen Babi in the movie Charitra in 1973.
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