Ranchi: Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's mentor Deval Sahay who made India a two-time world champion, died in a hospital in Ranchi on Tuesday. Sahay is credited with preparing the first turf pitch in Ranchi. He was 73. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son. Sahay's daughter Meenakshi, who lives in the US and is currently in Ranchi.

Sahay's first name was Devabrata, but people called him Deval. He was admitted to the hospital due to breathing problems. He was discharged from the hospital on October 9. Sahay's son Abhinav Akash Sahai said while interacting with the media that, "After spending about 10 days at home, he was again admitted to a hospital where he had complications and was in Ranchi around 3 am today. He died in

Electrical engineer Deval Sahay was instrumental in preparing the first turf pitch in Ranchi. At Mecon, where he was the lead engineer, and then at Central Coalfields Limited, from where he retired as Director (Personnel). Dhoni's father also worked in MECON. While he was in the CCL, Sahay placed a young Dhoni on stipend and offered him his first chance to play on turf pitches. Sahai's character is also featured in Dhoni's biopic Bollywood film 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story'.

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