For Sourav Ganguly, Diego Maradona’s demise meant he lost his “hero.”

“My hero no more ..my mad genius rest in peace ..I watched football for you,” the BCCI president and former India captain said in his emotion-filled tweet.

Sourav, in fact, had said in the past that he used to play only football till the ninth standard before switching over to cricket. In Maradona’s second visit to the city, back in December 2017, Sourav was supposed to play in a charity match with the icon. But Maradona skipped that game because of injury to his right hand.

Sachin Tendulkar too paid tribute. “Football and the world of sports has lost one of its greatest players today. Rest in Peace Diego Maradona! You shall be missed,” he tweeted.

“One of the greatest icons of the game Diego Maradona passes away, a very sad day for World sports. Condolences to his family, friends and well-wishers,” former India batsman VVS Laxman tweeted.