Milind Rege, the former Mumbai cricket captain, passed away from a heart attack at 76. He took 126 wickets and scored 1,532 runs in 52 first-class matches from 1966 to 1978. After retiring, he served the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) in various roles, including chief selector, and was instrumental in including a young Sachin Tendulkar in the Ranji Trophy squad in 1988. Rege, who played alongside Sunil Gavaskar in school and club cricket, was known for emphasizing the competitive spirit of Mumbai cricket. His contributions were honored with a minute’s silence during the ongoing Ranji Trophy semi-final.
Milind Rege, the ex-captain of Mumbai, passed away from a heart attack on Wednesday, just a few days after celebrating his 76th birthday.
Rege claimed 126 wickets with his offbreak bowling across 52 first-class matches played from 1966-67 to 1977-78. He also accumulated 1532 runs in those matches, averaging 23.56. Following his cricketing career, he held various roles with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), including positions as a selector and chief selector during different periods.
Rege was part of the Mumbai selection committee when the young Sachin Tendulkar was included in the Ranji Trophy team in 1988. In 2006, he supported the incorporation of a video analyst into Mumbai’s domestic cricket setup, being one of the first to adopt this emerging technology in the sport.
He shared a close friendship with Sunil Gavaskar since childhood. They attended the same school and college and also played together at Dadar Union Sporting Club.
“To play for Mumbai, you needed to earn your cap and strive to keep it,” Rege told ESPNcricinfo in 2017, reflecting on Mumbai’s 500th Ranji Trophy match. “Vijay Merchant, Madhav Mantri, [Polly] Umrigar, and Manohar Hardikar – these were the figures on the selection panel that chose me. They were not just selectors; they were titans of Mumbai cricket. All of them were disciplinarians and excellent captains. One failure meant you were dropped, so each innings was highly valued. This ethos was maintained across all levels of the game, especially in the fiercely competitive club cricket, which is one of the legacies of Mumbai cricket.”
Both the Mumbai and Vidarbha teams participating in the current Ranji Trophy semi-final in Nagpur observed a moment of silence in memory of Rege before the start of the third day’s play. The Mumbai players, many of whom made their first-class debuts during his tenure as selection chair, donned black arm-bands.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of Milind Rege sir’s passing,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik expressed in a statement. “A pillar of Mumbai cricket, his impact as a player, selector, and mentor was immense. His insights guided countless generations of cricketers, and his legacy will always be honored. May he rest in peace, and my sincere condolences go out to his family and loved ones.”
Since 2020, Rege served as an advisor at MCA.
