Salim Durani was a legend, an institution in himself: PM Modi

Salim Durani, one of the finest all-rounders, passed away at his home Jamnagar in Gujarat after a prolonged battle with cancer, on Sunday. He was 88. Born in Afghanistan, Durani had Pashtun origins and was known for his batting and bowling prowess that left the spectators thrilled. "He will always be remembered for hitting sixes when spectators demanded. Hitting sixes during that period was rare," remembered a family friend in Mumbai. He had been living with his younger brother, Jahangir Durani, in Jamnagar,  Durani had undergone a proximal femoral nail surgery after he broke his thigh bone in a fall in January this year. . Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the demise of former India allrounder Salim Durani.

I had the opportunity to interact with the great Salim Durani Ji on various occasions. One such occasion was in January 2004 at a programme in Jamnagar, in which a statue of the great cricketer Vinoo Mankad Ji was inaugurated. Here are some memories from the programme. pic.twitter.com/alESpsVCcx

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 2, 2023

The Kabul-born Durani, who packed a punch with his bat and was also a handy left-arm orthodox bowler, 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.

Salim Durani hits Jack Birkenshaw for six in the 1972-73 Bombay Test. Video from @jaigalagali

This hit took him from 49 to 55. pic.twitter.com/OetQ5JxvYw

— Rameses (@tintin1107) April 2, 2023

"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," ex-India batter VVS Laxman posted on Twitter.

Durani, known for his fine dressing style and swagger, scored just one century though he had seven fifties in the 50 innings he played for the country, scoring 1,202 runs. Durrani made his Test debut in Mumbai in the early sixties against Australia and played his last Test against England in February 1973 at the Brabourne Stadium. He scored 8545 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 33.37, including 14 centuries. The star cricketer also dabbled in Bollywood, starring opposite renowned actor Praveen Babi in the movie Charitra in 1973.