Chetan Chauhan (R) shakes hands with party workers as he campaigns for the general elections in New Delhi. File / AFP

Chauhan, who tested positive last month, was put on ventilator support at a hospital in Gurgaon, but his condition worsened after he suffered multiple organ failure.

He is one of the highest-profile figures to die from the disease in India, which is the world's third-most infected nation with more than 2.5 million cases and almost 50,000 deaths.

"He had tested negative but then the reports came positive again," brother Pushpendra Chauhan said.

After playing 40 Tests for India, Chauhan switched to politics and was a minister in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh as a member of the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

Born July 21, 1947, the right-hander scored 2,084 runs and shared 10 century partnerships with his more illustrious teammate Gavaskar.

He failed to score a Test century, with 97 his highest-ever innings.

In 179 first-class matches, he accumulated 11,143 runs, earning a reputation for his solid defence and doggedness.

Agence France-Presse