A day after the BCCI announced an INR 125 Crore prize money reward for the T20 World Cup 2024 winning Indian team, former India cricketer Sandeep Patil revealed that he urged the board to help out ex-India coach Anshuman Gaekwad as well, who is currently unwell.

Gaekwad, who coached India across two spells during the late 1990s, is currently battling blood cancer at the King's College Hospital in London, at the age of 71.

His ex-teammate Sandeep Patil, a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team, revealed that he talked to BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar, who assured them to look into this matter and funds for the ex-cricketers.

"Anshuman Gaekwad told me that he has received financial support from the cricket board, but more financial support is needed. In this regard, former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar and I had a conversation with Cricket Board Treasurer Ashish Shelar. We called Ashish Shelar from the car after seeing Anshuman Gaekwad in the hospital,” Sandeep Patil wrote in Mid-day.

"Ashish Shelar instantly said he would look into ours and other former cricketers' requests for funds. I'm sure he will facilitate this and, at the risk of sounding macabre, save Anshu's life. Any cricketer from any country should be helped by his Board, but Anshu's case must be taken up on priority and treated as paramount," Patil added.

Anshuman Gaekwad, an opener, played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1974 and 1987. He also coached India from 1997-1999. He then took over as head coach for the second time after the infamous match-fixing scandal.

India reached the final of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy in Kenya under his guidance.