Debuted at 13, fastest to 1,000 runs; he promised to match Sachin Tendulkar but death took him away at just 18

The left-handed batsman from Punjab was frantically knocking on the door of the Indian Test team at the time of his death.

The tragic incident happened so long ago that now very few remember who Dhruva Mahender Pandove was. Dhruva was a contemporary of the great Sachin Tendulkar. He was a batting prodigy, too. Just at the age of 13, he made his first-class debut for Punjab. The way fans are excited for Vaibahav Sooryavanshi today, similarly, Dhruva was the cynosure of all eyes before death intervened and took him away on January 31, 1992, in Ambala.

Dhruva Pandove was a star in the making! (AFP)

What happened was this: Dhruva played a Deodhar Trophy game in Odisha and reached Ambala and from there he had to go to his parents’ in Patiala. January in the north is a cold, foggy month, and often there is zero visibility on roads. Chetan Sharma, then still active as a cricketer, asked him to wait and leave the city when it was safe to travel. But Dhruva had to play a touring team in the next few days, so he thought that before that match kicks off, he should try to spend as much time as possible with his parents. He didn’t pay heed to Chetan’s advice and took a taxi to Patiala, which never reached its destination. A thunderous crash, and Dhruva was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. He was 18 at the time and was knocking on India’s Test team door.

He lived little, but he made a big impression. First-class debut at 13 (Tendulkar made his debut at 15), first-class century at 14 (Tendulkar did it at 15, and Sooryavanshi is yet to score his first) and youngest to 1,000 runs in the Ranji Trophy at the age of 17. Tendulkar comparisons were repeatedly made. The master blaster had already started playing for India, and Dhruva was desperate to join him. The Punjab batsman, who also played six List A matches, was sure that if he scored heavily against the touring side, the selectors would have to pick him.

Dhruva’s untimely death left a deep scar on the Pandove family. The youngest son, Kunal, wasn’t allowed to pursue cricket as a profession. The mother burnt his kit to ensure he could never play cricket. The incident happened almost 34 years ago, and very few remember it today. But those who do still remember it with profound sadness. India lost a cricketer who had all the makings of a top-notch star. Alas, destiny had something else in mind. Players who played with him were awestruck by what he brought to the table.

Anil Kumble, who played for South Zone in that Deodhar Trophy game, told the Hindu several years ago. “I remember Dhruva as a good, up-and-coming batsman. It was so sad to see a talent promise the world and then suddenly leave it.”

Former India and Punjab opener Vikram Rathour, who played alongside Dhruva, meanwhile, said, “He had a mature head on his shoulders and was very intelligent in cricket matters. He had a great future in the game.”

'He had so much life in him'

When you read what Ajay Jadeja said about Dhruva, the sadness grows in you. “He had so much life in him. I have not seen anyone that young so fearless. He could take on anyone. His spirit to fight was very infectious.”

Several years on, fans from that era appear to have moved on from that tragic incident. Indian cricket has for sure moved on, transforming into the most powerful cricket board in the 21st century. But then there are days when one wonders: what if that accident had not happened? Indian fans would have had another star to be boastful about. That's the answer you get.