6 Indian Cricketers Who Are Also Engineers

Engineer’s Day is observed to mark the birth anniversary of acclaimed civil engineer M Visvesvaraya. India along with Sri Lanka and Tanzania, celebrate renowned engineers from all over the country. In a country, where cricketers are worshipped like gods, there are few who hold an engineering degree.

In India many cricketers make their debut at a young age, they hardly get time to complete their school education. But they are a handful of cricketers who have high educational qualifications.

We at Cricket Addictor will take a look at six cricketers from India who are also engineers:

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Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin has rightly carried the legacy of world-class spinners India have produced over the years. He has been a force with to reckon with both in Asia and outside the continent.

The off-spinner is a crucial component in the Virat Kohli-led Indian team. He also got the award for the ICC Player for the Year in 2016. Ashwin is also an Arjuna Award winner in 2004 and has been a part of the ICC’s Test team of the year for four times.

However, only a few know that Ashwin graduated from  SSN College of Engineering with B. Tech degree in Information Technology. He is one of the few Indian cricketers to hold an Engineering degree.

Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan

Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan was one of India’s finest spinners to play the game in the 1970s. He was a tricky customer for the batsmen regardless of the situations. While what everyone doesn’t know is that he is a qualified engineer from the famous College of Engineering, Guindy.

With 156 wickets in 57 Tests between 1965 and 1983, he was a much better player than the numbers suggest. He has earned praise from the likes of Sunil Gavaskar for his commitment to the game. After retirement, Venkataraghavan took up umpiring.

He was a member of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires. The spinner also received Padmasree in 2003.

EAS Prasanna

The former India spinner is one of the illustrious spinners to play the game of cricket. Since making his debut against England in 1961, Erapalli Prasanna has led India’s bowling for so many years.

Pairing with BS Chandrashekhar, S Venkatraghavan & Bishen Singh Bedi, Prasanna created spin quartet during the 1970s. Prasanna was highly successful not only on Indian turning wickets but on foreign pitches too.

He achieved the record of fastest 100 wickets in Tests for an Indian Bowler (in 20 Tests) at his time. His record was broken by Ravichandran Ashwin. Apart from his credibility as a cricketer, Prasanna is an alumnus of National Institute of Engineering, Mysore.

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Krishnamachari Srikanth

Former India skipper Krishnamachari Srikkanth is one of the greatest hitters of the cricket ball. He played a crucial role in the final of 1983 World Cup which helped India lift their maiden trophy.

Srikkanth holds a B.E. degree in Electrical Engineering from College of Engineering, Guindy in Chennai. Although he used to play cricket in his college days, Srikkanth didn’t realise that he can play Test cricket. Eventually, he ended his career with 43 Tests and 146 ODIs scoring almost 8100 international runs.

After retirement, he had a stint as the coach of the India ‘A’ team. He has since been a broadcaster and commentator with various sports and news channels. Srikkanth has also served as the chief selectors in 2008.

Javagal Srinath

The former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath is one of India’s finest pacer. He is the first Indian fast bowler to take more than 300 wickets in One Day Internationals. Srinath is the joint highest wicket-taker for India in the World Cup alongside Zaheer Khan with 44 scalps.

While many know about his exploits with the ball, Srinath also holds an Engineering degree. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in instrumentation from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE) in Mysore. Srinath spent his first two years of college at the Malnad College of Engineering in Hassan.

Post his retirement, Srinath is currently serving as ICC’s match referee and also officiated games in the recent ICC World Cup 2019.

Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble has been one of the greatest servants of Indian cricket. His control with the ball and his line and length has been inspiring for all the young cricketers. With 619 Test and 337 ODI wickets, Anil Kumble is the highest wicket-taker for India in both the formats.

He is one of the highly educated cricketers to represent Indian cricket. Kumble graduated B.E from Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering (RVCE) in Mechanical Engineering in 1991–92. The leg-spinner also holds a keen interest in wildlife photography.

Post his retirement, Kumble has served Indian cricket as the head coach. He is also the chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee.