Renowned sports journalist Dicky Rutnagur passes away

Renowned Indian sports journalist and commentator Dicky Rutnagur passed away in London on Friday, aged 82, after a prolonged illness.

He is survived by his son Richard Sohrab Rutnagur

Born February 28, 1931, he covered 300 Tests in a fabulous career spanning half-a-century.

He was associated with the Hindustan Times between 1958 and 1966 as cricket correspondent and moved to London in the mid-sixties where he not only covered county cricket but also wrote on squash and badminton for the Daily Telegraph.

He also wrote two books - Test Commentary (India v England 1976-77) and Khans Unlimited (the history of squash in Pakistan).

Former India spin ace Bishan Singh Bedi and several Indian and British sports journalists paid rich tribute to Rutnagur on social media.

"Giant crkt writer/comentr Diky Rutnagar dies in Lon unsung-leaves behind rich Parsi culture Joyous crkt moments-RIP Dicky Boy-gr8 to know U!," Bedi tweeted.

Senior cricket journalist Ayayz Memon wrote, "Grand Old Man of cricket journalism (print and broadcast) has died in London. RIP."

Mike Walters, a senior sports reporter with Mirror, also tweeted remembering Rutnagur.

"RIP Dicky Rutnagur -- one of the finest, nicest, funniest and most acerbic (often in the same sentence) county cricket scribes," Walters tweeted.

BBC News commentator Edward Bevan also paid tribute to the departed soul.

"Saddened to hear of the death of Dicky Rutnagur - a press box colleague for many years-when county cricket was properly covered," he wrote.

Mike Selvey, a former England criketer and now a journalist, wrote: "So sorry to hear of death of Dicky Rutnagur. Many facets of journalism and one of the best of the old school. V kind to me when i started."

Howard Harding, a well-known figure in the world of squash, tweeted," Dicky Rutnagur: One of the last great British national newspaper squash correspondents. RIP."