Srinivas Venkatraghavan

A champion off spinner in his heydays, Venkat, as he was fondly called, went on to become an established cricket umpire after his playing days. Venkats claim to fame was his quick decision making and an analytical mind. A bowler of repute himself, he translated it while making his calls.

A relatively latecomer into the field, Venkat stood in his first match, an India v England ODI in 1993, Venkat was a part of the Elite panel right until his retirement in 2004. A part of the famous spin quartet in the 1970s, Venkat, sadly has been the only Indian to be recognized worldwide as an efficient umpire. For his services to the game, Venkatraghavan was conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2003.