Former Maharashtra Ranji player Shekhar Gawli has been missing since Tuesday. The 45-year-old fell into a gorge while trekking in the Igatpuri Taluka of Nashik district in Maharashtra. Reports state he was found dead on Wednesday afternoon after a long search. Gawli, who was the fitness coach of Maharashtra U-23 cricket team, had gone for a tour in the Igatpuri region of Nashik where the incident took place. He had represented Maharashtra in two matches in the Rani Trophy in Indian domestic circuit. Suresh Raina Finally Opens Up on His Decision to Pull Out of IPL 2020, Hints on CSK Comeback.

Maharashtra Cricket Association also announced the sad passing of Gawli on its twitter account. "In a tragic incident our former player and current Trainer of Maharashtra team Shekhar Gawli, passed away tragically .Our condolences to his family and friends. We are all with his family in this tragic situation.

May his soul rest in peace," said the state cricket body in its tweet.

Shekhar Gawli Passes Away

According to reports, Gawli slipped while trekking and fell into a 200 feet valley and has disappeared since then. Some though have claimed that the former cricketer was taking a selfie when he slipped. The incident occurred late evening and search for him had started late on Tuesday. Initially, the locals searched for him but to no avail. Later emergency services also arrived but failed to find him. The search was stopped at night due to lack of proper visibility, the administration had said.

The search resumed on Wednesday morning and reportedly his body has been recovered. The search team are, however, yet to certify the reason for his death. Reports have stated that he was clicking selfie standing on a tall stone when he slipped and fell into the gorge. In the two Ranji matches that he played for Maharashtra, Gawli had taken three wickets with best figures of 2/27.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 02, 2020 02:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).