Ranji batsman Nagdev dies

Ramesh Nagdev, the former Gujarat player, died in the United States on Sunday aged 60.

Nagdev, an attacking batsman who was born in Karachi and lived in San Jose, California, opened the innings with Sunil Gavaskar for Indian schools against the London schoolboys team in 1965-66.

Nagdev represented Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy, opening the innings regularly with Nari Contractor, after playing for Bombay (now Mumbai) against the visiting Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) team in 1965 at the Brabourne Stadium. He also played for West Zone against the Australians, led by Bill Lawry, in a three-day tour match at Pune's Nehru Stadium under the captaincy of Chandu Borde, another ex-India captain.

In his career stretching from 1964-65 to 1969-70 Nagdev, who still holds the Bombay Schools record for the highest individual score in the Giles Shield tournament for senior boys (427, made in 1963-64), played 21 matches and accumulated 1164 runs at 36.

He and Gavaskar also opened for Bombay University in the Rohintan Baria tournament and both played for the same college - Mumbai's St Xavier's. His highest first class score, 111, came in his last match against Baroda in Vadodara during February 1970.

He is survived by his wife and two children.