Becoming a professional in any sport requires great sacrifice, especially in terms of education. In cricket, most of the players who make it to the top have little to no experience of College education. Only a select few have been able to pursue their education as well as their cricketing passion simultaneously. In this article, we will look at five Indian cricketers who are engineering graduates.
#5 Srinivas Venkataraghavan
Venkataraghavan is the oldest among Indian cricketers who are engineering graduates. Part of the famous Spin Quartet of the ’60s and ’70s, Venkataraghavan is also an alumnus of the College of Engineering, Guindy. Venkataraghavan played in 57 Test Matches and picked up 156 wickets. He was mainly lauded for his accuracy and excellent fielding skills.
Venkataraghavan was also part of the famous away victories in England and West Indies in 1971. Although the presence of other world-class spinners limited his opportunities, Venkataraghavan kept taking wickets consistently in domestic cricket. After retiring as a player, Venkataraghavan has served as the manager of the Indian cricket team and has also officiated in 73 Test matches.
#4 Anil Kumble
Referred fondly as “Jumbo” by his teammates, Kumble was often India’s game-changer with the ball. Kumble holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering. He was still pursuing his degree when he made his International debut in 1990.
Kumble has 619 Test wickets to his name, a record for an Indian. Kumble is also regarded as a shrewd diplomat, as evident by his spells in cricket management after retiring as a player. He also had an immense dedication to the game and often played through injuries.
#3 Krishnamachari Srikkanth
For anyone who watched cricket in the ’80s, Srikkanth was a breath of fresh air among humble, down-to-earth Indian cricketers. He had an inimitable style with the bat and was a no-nonsense character in the dressing room. He was arguably cricket’s first pinch hitter, as he often played attacking strokes in an era of long boundaries and thin bats. Srikkanth is among the Indian cricketers who are engineering graduates, as he holds an electrical engineering degree from the College of Engineering, Guindy.
Srikkanth captained India in a five-match Test series in Pakistan, which was also Sachin’s debut series. After retiring from cricket, Srikkanth served as the Chairman of selectors, picking the squad that won the 2011 World Cup in India.
#2 Javagal Srinath
Srinath was India’s first proper fast bowler, and he remained a potent weapon even after losing his pace due to injuries. He often bowled in the high 140’s, and his spell of 6/21 at Ahmedabad in 1996 is recognized as one of the best displays of fast bowling in the sub-continent.
Srinath was a thorough gentleman and holds a degree in Instrumentation Engineering from SJCE, Mysore. He has 44 World Cup wickets to his name, a record for an Indian. After retiring, Srinath has served as a referee in over 200 International games.
#1 Ravi Ashwin
Selected in the team as a specialist T-20 bowler, Ashwin has come a long way in the past decade. He took the most International wickets in the last decade, and in the past two years, he has enjoyed a lot of success. Ashwin is a B. Tech IT graduate from SSN College of Engineering.
Ashwin is also known to be one of the smartest cricketers in the world. He is constantly exploring new dimensions to spin bowling and has a lot of variations up his sleeve. Ashwin is set to play an important role in India’s Test tour of England, which begins on August 4.
