Naik’s spouse Vasundhara Pendse Naik, a well-known persona within the literary box, died a couple of years again after struggling with most cancers. He is survived through his daughter Radhika Deshpandewho lives in Melbourne.
Naik performed 3 Tests, through which he scored 141 runs @ 23.50, and two ODIs (38 runs @ 19.00) within the 70s. The Mumbai opener made his Test debut at Edgbaston in 1974 and scored a gritty 77, even though India suffered an innings defeat. His ultimate Test got here on the Eden Gardens in opposition to the West Indies in 1975.
In a prolific home profession, Naik accrued 4376 runs in 85 First-Class fits @ 35.29, with seven loads and 27 fifties. He scored 2687 runs (40.10) with a very best rating of 200 no longer out in opposition to Baroda in 1973–74, for Bombay (now Mumbai) within the Ranji Trophy,
One of his greatest achievements was once that at a tender age, he led Bombay to an surprising, memorable Ranji Trophy triumph in 1970–71, beating a star-studded Maharashtra crew, captained through Chandu Bordewithin the ultimate on the Brabourne Stadium, which was once performed from April 2–7, 1971. It was once a depleted facet with all of the Bombay Test stars of that point, together with Sunil Gavaskar and Ajit Wadekar, being away with the Indian crew within the West Indies. On August 6, 2021, that crew was once venerated to mark the golden jubilee of that identify win, which was once Bombay’s twenty second triumph.
Post retirement, he was once the landlord & trainer of the National Cricket Club, which produced the likes of Zaheer Khan, Wasim Jaffer and Nilesh Kulkarni. He was once additionally the manager curator of the Wankhede Stadium for a number of years, and maximum memorably within the 2011 World Cup ultimate. He additionally served the MCA as a primary selector and managing committee member.
Acknowledging the instrumental function that Naik performed in his profession, Zaheer, who visited him within the health center lately, informed TOI: “I was remembering my first interaction with Sudhir sir. When he saw me bowl for the first time, he had an interesting conversation with me, which I can never forget. He told me: ‘I’m going to make you play all the ‘A’ Division games’ (in local cricket). not going to let you go back. I had no clue about ‘A’ Division. I was 18, starting off, and coming from Shrirampur (in Maharashtra). He had great clarity. To see someone showing that kind of trust in me, impacted me. I don’t know what he saw in me that he decided to back me so much. He actually told the captain of the club: ‘He’s playing all the games. His name will be first in the playing XI. His demise is a big loss for me.
Paying tribute to Naik, former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar said, “He was once my first captain on the Tata Sports Club crew long ago in 1976. We had a large number of giant partnership s enjoying for Tatas & Mumbai. In truth, we had a 202- run first wicket partnership in opposition to Baroda in handiest my 2d Ranji Trophy fit. Later, Sudhir performed below me for Tatas and we had been individuals of the Mumbai variety committee.”
“He was once a straight-forward individual. His contribution to his membership National and Mumbai, first as a participant and later as an administrator was once exceptional. He was once a excellent curator and had super wisdom of make excellent cricket wickets which he did relentlessly at Wankhede with none expectation,” eulogized Vengsarkar.
Elaborating on his vital role in Wankhede staging the World Cup final in 2011, former BCCI CAO Prof. Ratnakar Shettywho was the tournament director, said, “But for him, staging the World Cup fits in Wankhede would had been tough. That was once his maximum essential function and contribution to Indian cricket. But for his super efforts, Wankhede don’t have been in a position. He had handiest six months’ time in hand to get the wickets and outfield in a position, and that too amid all of the development that was once occurring. There was once a time when Mr (Sharad) Pawar was once in doubt about Wankhede staging the World Cup, and he had agreed to shift the fits to the DY Patil Stadium. However, he confident Pawar that the bottom and wicket can be in a position.”