Dhoni’s mentor passes away after prolonged illness in Ranchi

Former Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s mentor Deval Sahay died on Tuesday, 24 November 2020 at the age of 73. Deval Sahai breathed his last at a hospital in Ranchi. Deval Sahay was also the vice-president of the Bihar Cricket Association. Deval Sahay was ill for the last three months.

Deval Sahay is called Bhishma Pitamah of Ranchi Cricket. He was also a great player of cricket and football. Deval Sahay retired from the post of Director of Personnel of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL). He then disassociated himself from the sports administration in 2006 as well. Sportsmen associated with various organizations have mourned his death, including Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA).

Deval Sahai hired Mahendra Singh Dhoni on a stipend in 1997–98. Deol Sahay is also mentioned in the biopic of MS Dhoni. He played an important role in bringing Mahendra Singh Dhoni to such a height in the cricket world.

Not only Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but dozens of cricketers also represented the country and the state under the direction of Deval Sahay. These include dozens of cricketers including Pradeep Khanna, Adil Hussain, Anwar Mustafa, Dhananjay Singh, Subrata Da, Sanjeev Sinha, Rajiv Kumar Raja, Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Deval Sahay was the one who brought Dhoni from the railway to CCL. On the demise of Deval Sahay, former Ranji player Adil Hussain said that we are saddened by the death of the most skilled and successful sports administrator of unified Bihar. He was not only the game administrator but also the guardian of the players. Deval Sahay held preferred positions in MECON, CMPDI and CCL. During his tenure, he opened the door to direct player appointments. Cricketers got more benefit from this. However, players from other sports also got jobs.

Deval Sahay has a wife, a daughter and a son. His first name was Devabrata, but people called him Deval. He was hospitalized due to shortness of breath. He was discharged from the hospital on October 9. Abhal Akash, son of Deval Sahay, told the news agency, “He was admitted to the hospital again after spending about 10 days at home. His condition continued to deteriorate there. He died in Ranchi in the early hours of Tuesday.