Former Bengal cricketer and coach Ajay Verma passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was 62 years old at the time of his death. On Thursday, January 15, he was taken to the hospital after feeling unwell in the morning. However, he breathed his last despite all efforts by the doctors. Ajay's sudden demise has cast a deep shadow of grief over Bengal cricket circles.
Ajay Verma played consistently for Bengal for 12 long years. He made his first-class cricket debut in the 1986-87 season. This all-rounder played a total of 25 first-class and 11 List A matches for Bengal. With the bat, he scored 1,263 runs in first-class cricket, which included three centuries. His highest innings was 162 runs. As a right-arm off-break bowler, he also took 46 wickets. His best bowling performance was 6 wickets for 56 runs. In List A cricket, he scored 343 runs and took 7 wickets in 11 matches.
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After retiring from cricket in the 1997-98 season, Ajay devoted himself wholeheartedly to the world of coaching. He was an important coach in the Cricket Association of Bengal's (CAB) Vision 2028 project. He worked with under-16, under-19, and even women's teams. Cricketers like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Anustup Majumdar, and Sudip Chatterjee benefited from his coaching.
Former teammate and Ranji-winning captain Sambaran Banerjee said, "It's difficult to express in words. Ajay played under my leadership." Bengal's current coach, Laxmiratan Shukla, also said, "I have rarely seen an honest person like Ajay-da."
Ajay Verma passed away just twenty days after his birthday. Bengal cricket will always remember his contributions on and off the field.
