Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Amol Kale has tragically passed away due to a cardiac arrest in New York, shortly after attending the T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan. Kale, along with other MCA officials, including secretary Ajinkya Naik and apex council member Suraj Samat, was present at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium on Sunday to witness the highly anticipated match between the arch-rivals.
In a heartfelt statement on its social media pages, the MCA expressed their grief: “We are deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of our President, Shri. Amol Kale. On behalf of Apex Council, Member Clubs, Staff & our entire MCA family, we offer our deepest condolences to his family. His visionary leadership & efforts will be remembered in our hearts forever.”
Former India and Mumbai cricketer Ravi Shastri, who was in the US as a commentator for the T20 World Cup, also paid tribute to Kale. “Deeply saddened by the passing of Amol Kale, President of the Mumbai Cricket Association. His passion for the sport and unwavering dedication to its development leaves a void in the cricketing community. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues,” Shastri wrote on ‘X’.
Former BCCI chairman and MCA president Sharad Pawar expressed his shock: “Deeply shocked to hear about the sudden demise of Shri Amol Kale, President, Mumbai Cricket Association. He will always be remembered for his gentle, affable demeanour and his sincere efforts to advance the MCA. My prayers are with his family members,” added Pawar, who also served as ICC president from 2010-12.
Maharashtra politician and MCA apex council member Jitendra Awhad shared his sorrow: “Heard the sad news of the demise of #AmolKale, President of Mumbai Cricket Association. Good organiser and a cricket lover. Amol, this was not your age to say goodbye to the world. It’s a personal loss to me.”
The 47-year-old Kale had taken the helm as MCA president after defeating former India and Mumbai cricketer Sandip Patil in the elections held in October 2022. During his tenure, the MCA implemented several important decisions, including matching the BCCI match fee for all its red-ball players for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
