Historian, Padma Vibhushan awardee Babasaheb Purandare passes away
Pune(PTI): Noted historian and Padma Vibhushan awardee Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare, died at a Pune hospital on Monday after a brief illness, a doctor said.
Purandare (99), an authority on the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was diagnosed with pneumonia a week ago and was admitted to the city's Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital where he died.
He was diagnosed with pneumonia owing to advanced age and was on ventilator support in the hospital's intensive care unit. His health deteriorated on Sunday and he had been in an extremely critical condition since then, the doctor said.
On Sunday, the historian's declining health sparked rumours of his death in a section of the vernacular media and a number of local news portals.
Known by his moniker Shiv Shahir' (literally Shivaji's bard), Purandare was considered one of the pre-eminent authorities on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Raja Shivchhatrapati, Purandare's popular two-part, 900-page magnum opus on Shivaji Maharaj in Marathi, was first published in the late 1950s and has since been a staple in Marathi households, going through numerous reprints over decades.
Purandare had also conceived and directed the theatrical history extravaganza on Shivaji Maharaj's life titled Jaanta Raja in the mid-1980s.
Earlier this year, tributes had flown in from across the political spectrum on the occasion of the historian having completed 99 years, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting Purandare via a video message.
Babasaheb's work is inspirational. I visited Pune to see Babasaheb's play Janata Raja', based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Even when Babasaheb used to visit Ahmedabad I used to attend his programmes, Modi had said.
Purandare, born on July 29, 1922, was awarded with Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award in 2019.
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‘Test cricket needs Virat’: Lara says Kohli will be persuaded to not retire before England tour
New Delhi: West Indies batting great Brian Lara has voiced strong support for Virat Kohli to continue his Test career, amid reports that the Indian superstar recently expressed a desire to retire from the longest format of the game.
According to reports, the 36-year-old informed selectors of his intention to step away from Test cricket ahead of India’s five-match tour of England, scheduled to begin on June 20. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly urged the former captain to reconsider his decision.
Amid growing speculation, Lara urged that Kohli needed to be persuaded to stay on in the red-ball format. Posting a photo of himself with Kohli on Instagram, Lara wrote: "Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded. He is NOT going to retire from Test cricket." He further added that Kohli is going to average above 60 for the remainder of his Test career, underlining his confidence in Kohli's ability to remain a force in Test cricket.
Meanwhile, BCCI sources have reportedly stated that a “highly influential cricketing figure” is expected to reach out to Kohli in the coming days to convince him to stay on, especially with a high-profile England series on the horizon. Squad selection for the tour is expected around May 16.
Kohli, widely regarded as one of the modern greats, has played 210 Test innings, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of over 45, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, which stands as an extraordinary record that has defined India’s dominance in red-ball cricket.
