Vijay Shirke was a well-known figure in Mumbai’s cricketing circles. He troubled many star batsmen with his outswingers in the late 1980s. That was before he started guiding budding cricketers at the Kopri ground in Thane, something that the 57-year-old continued to do till the novel Coronavirus cut short his inning in last December.

In a matter of nine days, the popular coach lost the biggest match of his life, recalled his distraught family that is still to come to terms with his departure.