Pant, Sehwag and others pay tribute as cricket coach Tarak Sinha passes away at 71

Coach Tarak Sinha, a mentor to dozens of first-class and international cricketers, passed away on Saturday and was grieved by the cricketing community, with his brightest ward Rishabh Pant admitting the loss has left him devastated.

Sinha passed away on Saturday morning after a protracted illness. He was 71 years old.

Mourning his death, India's star wicket-keeper Pant, who is now in the UAE for the ICC T20 World Cup, said he will remember him every time he steps onthe field.

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"My mentor, coach, motivator, my biggest critic and my greatest fan. You took care of me like your son, I am devastated. You will always be with me whenever I walk out onto the field. My heartfelt condolences & prayers. May your soul rest in peace, Tarak sir," tweeted Pant.

Pant was one of Sinha's sharpest students. Devender Sharma, Sinha's longtime assistant, actively coached him.

Sinha, revered by his pupils as "Ustad ji" was a father figure in Delhi's legendary Sonnet Club, which produced some of the country's greatest cricketers who dominated local and international cricket.

Over the course of over five decades, he nourished, cultivated, and managed raw talent, providing them with a stage to perform and wings to soar through his club.

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That is why several of his most prominent pupils (who do not wish to be identified) were monitoring his health and making required arrangements until his death.

Among his earlierstudents were Delhi cricket legends.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag expressed his sadness after the loss.

"Feel a lot of pain on the demise of passing away of Ustaad ji #TarakSinha. He was one of the rare coaches who gave India more than a dozen Test Cricketers & the values he inculcated in his students helped Indian cricket immensely. Condolences to his family and students," he tweeted.

Sinha, a lifetime Dronacharya Awardee, has a long list of students who have gone on to play for India, including Surinder Khanna, Manoj Prabhakar, the late Raman Lamba, Ajay Sharma, Atul Wassan, and Sanjiv Sharma.

Sinha coached international players including Aakash Chopra, Anjum Chopra, all-rounder Rumeli Dhar, bowler Ashish Nehra, and Shikhar Dhawan in the post-90s.

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"Ustaad Ji is no more. Dronacharya Awardee. Coach to over a dozen India Test cricketers. And scores of first-class cricketers. Both men and women. Without any institutional help. Your service to Indian cricket will be remembered, sir. May your soul R.I.P," Aakash Chopra tweeted.

According to Atul Wassan, it was a terrible day for all of the Sonnet Club kids.

Former captain of India's national women's cricket team, Anjum Chopra, wrote:

"The Coach! Mr.Tarak Sinha. The nursery of Sonnet Cricket club has seen many international and domestic players (men and women) make their mark. The guide, mentor, coach.May you rest in peace sir."