Indian cricketer Rajesh Banik died in a road accident: Former Tripura all-rounder Rajesh Banik, who played for the Indian team in the Under-19 World Cup, died in a road accident in Anandnagar, West Tripura. He was 40 years old. His family includes his father, mother, and brother. His sudden death has cast a pall of gloom over the state’s cricketing community.
Scored over 1,400 first-class runs for Tripura
Rajesh Banik made his Ranji Trophy debut for Tripura in the 2002-03 season. He was one of the state’s top cricketers during his time. He scored a total of 1,469 runs in 42 first-class matches. He also scored 378 runs in 24 List A matches, including one century. His highest score during this period was 101. He also played 18 T20 matches in his career, scoring 203 runs.
In addition to his impressive batting, Rajesh Banik was also renowned for his leg-break spin. He took a total of eight wickets in List A cricket, and two in first-class cricket. Later, when he retired from cricket, his abilities earned him a spot in the state’s Under-19 team.
Rajesh Banik, a former teammate of Irfan Pathan and Rayudu
Rajesh Banik was born on December 12, 1984, in Agartala, the capital of Tripura. According to an ESPN Cricinfo report, Banik toured England with the Indian Under-15 team in 2000, where he included players like Ambati Rayudu and Irfan Pathan. He played for the Tripura team in several tournaments, including the Vijay Merchant Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, CK Nayudu Trophy, and MA Chidambaram Trophy.
Tributes paid to Rajesh Banik
Players from Tripura’s senior men’s team, playing a Ranji Trophy match against Bengal in Agartala, wore black armbands in honor of Rajesh Banik. The Tripura Cricket Association paid tribute to him at its headquarters on Saturday. Secretary Subrata Dey said, “It is very unfortunate that we have lost such a talented cricketer and selector of the Under-16 cricket team. We are shocked. May his soul rest in peace.”
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