Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has stepped into what he proudly calls his “third innings”, and this time the scoreboard reads lives saved instead of runs scored. Alongside renowned singer and humanitarian Sumeet Tappoo, Gavaskar is helping raise funds for free paediatric heart surgeries across India and abroad through the One World One Family Foundation for the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals, founded by global humanitarian leader Sri Madhusudan Sai.
The hospitals have already changed the future for thousands of children and their families. In a coincidence that feels more like destiny than design, Gavaskar personally sponsors thirty-five surgeries every year, a number that quietly mirrors the thirty-five centuries he made for India. What once measured cricketing greatness now measures heartbeats restored, creating a subtle continuity between the champion he was and the humanitarian he has become.
Gavaskar, known for his unmatched discipline and composure on the pitch, has now channelled that same focus into saving children born with congenital heart disease. Around 2,40,000 children in India every year are born with this condition, and nearly a quarter of them will not live to see their first birthday without medical intervention. The surgeries at Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals are performed entirely free of cost, with a staggering success rate of more than 99 percent. The Sai Sanjeevani hospitals have performed nearly forty thousand surgeries completely free of charge and the parents of these children are also looked after before and after surgery.
Sumeet Tappoo, who heads the Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital Fiji, is a Mumbai-based singer in Bollywood and his musical background adds a unique emotional dimension to the initiative. He has dedicated his life to using music as a medium to spread awareness and raise funds to save children’s lives. The Sanjeevani Hospitals have already spread beyond the Indian shores with establishments in Fiji, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.
Sumeet’s concerts have become inspirational and has drawn philanthropists and corporates alike to contribute, making healthcare not a privilege but a birthright for thousands of children. Every contribution, no matter how small, directly funds surgeries that restore the heartbeat of a child. This is not charity for applause but a conscious investment in humanity.
For Gavaskar, this is deeply personal. During his cricketing days, he often spoke about second chances; those rare opportunities that separate good players from legends. He recalls being dropped twice by Sir Garfield Sobers on his debut, moments that allowed him to build a seventeen-year career that inspired generations. Today, he applies that same philosophy to his philanthropic innings, saying, “Every child deserves a second chance at life. Seeing their parents smile after hearing that their child’s heart is healed gives me more joy than scoring a double century for India.”
That kind of statement does not just reflect compassion; it reflects power, the kind of inner confidence that only comes from knowing you are contributing to something far greater than yourself. And let’s be honest, few things impress more than someone who uses their success to lift others.
The Sanjeevani hospitals operate under a motto that resonates across social classes: “Only dil, no bill.” Their facilities offer not just surgery but complete care, including outpatient services, diagnostics, medicines and counselling, totally free of charge.
Sumeet Tappoo’s musical background adds a unique emotional dimension to the initiative. His concerts and charity events have raised awareness and funds worldwide, combining art and altruism in a way that commands respect. For anyone who understands true success, this is what legacy looks like. Tappoo has often said that music and service both touch the soul, and his ability to inspire giving through melody shows what modern philanthropy looks like when powered by purpose.
The Gavaskar Tappoo endeavour demonstrates that real influence is not measured by fame or fortune but by impact. They have turned personal purpose into collective progress and in doing so, created a movement that anyone can join.
Every story of a child’s heartbeat restored is a reminder that greatness is not about how much one earns, but how much one gives. Those who associate with such a cause are not only saving lives but aligning themselves with excellence, compassion and strength, values that attract admiration and respect in every circle of life.