Renowned and Dronacharya Awardee cricket coach Tarak Sinha passed away on Saturday aged 71 after a battle with cancer. He had coached players like Ashish Nehra, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, among others.

Sinha, the soul of Sonnet Cricket Club which has given India and Delhi cricket so many gems. He was battling lung cancer for a while. And recently, had a multi-organ failure. He was a bachelor and is survived by his sister and hundreds of students.

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Tarak Sinha is no more. I have never met him but can say the respect I have seen for him from all his students, some of who have gone on to play for India, is proof of what he meant to them and his contribution to cricket. Rest in peace sir.

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) November 6, 2021

Sinha was a father figure in Delhi’s famous Sonnet Club, which has produced some of the country’s finest cricketers, who ruled domestic and international cricket.

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“It is with a heavy heart we have to share this tragic news of Shri Tarak Sinha. The founder of Sonnet Club, who has left us for heavenly abode at 3 am on Saturday after a brave battle with lung cancer for two months,” the Sonnet Club said in a statement.

My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and trainees of Tarak Sinha Sir. Never met him but heard so many inspirational stories from Nehra and @cricketaakash His contribution to Indian Cricket will be forever remembered. May his soul Rest In Peace. Om Shanti 🕉️ https://t.co/NIxI8111H9

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) November 6, 2021

His earlier students included the stalwarts of Delhi cricket. Surinder Khanna, Manoj Prabhakar, the late Raman Lamba, Ajay Sharma, Atul Wassan, Sanjiv Sharma all of whom ruled Delhi cricket and also played for India.

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The statement further said: “He was in good spirits till his last breath. Believing he could still get up on his feet! It’s a heavy day for all of us at Sonnet Club, the cricket fraternity, and most importantly the students who have always seen him as a guardian. May his soul rest in peace and continue to bless us to carry his legacy forward.”