At the age of 72, Zakir Hussain succumbed to a debilitating respiratory condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which had been affecting his health in recent years.

Zakir Hussain, one of the world's greatest tabla players, has died at the age of 73. The Indian classical music icon died of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a statement.

Renowned tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, aged 73, is no more. The news was broken on social media by his family. After two weeks of hospitalization, his condition deteriorated, requiring ICU care. Hussain leaves behind an unmatched legacy as a global ambassador of Indian classical music.