Former international umpire V Vikramraju, best remembered for standing in the dramatic tied Test between India and Australia at Chepauk in 1986, died in Bengaluru on Sunday. He was 92.
Across a modest but eventful career, Vikramraju officiated in two Tests and five One-Day Internationals, as well as 42 first-class fixtures. Yet, to most cricket followers, his name is for ever linked to that match in September 1986 – only the second tied Test in the game’s long history. The first, of course, was Australia v West Indies in Brisbane back in 1960.
“It is with profound grief and deep sorrow that the President and the Managing Committee of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) mourn the demise of Vikramraju, former International Umpire,” read a KSCA note on Monday. “He served the game of cricket with great distinction and integrity over several decades. As an umpire, he earned recognition at the highest levels of the sport.”
The Chepauk Test – 18 to 22 September – has stayed in every recap of classic finishes. With India chasing 348, No. 11 Maninder Singh was given lbw to Greg Matthews by Vikramraju when the scores read 347. One run short, match tied. Some Indian supporters felt the ball might have slid past leg stump; others, including several former players, argued the decision was sound given the laws and the conditions. Either way, the call has been replayed and re-analysed for nearly forty years, helping to cement the umpire’s place in cricket folklore. Dara Dotiwalla was the other on-field official that afternoon; both men later admitted they needed a moment to realise what had just unfolded.
After hanging up the white coat, Vikramraju stayed involved as a match referee, supervising four first-class games and later taking on duties in the Karnataka Premier League, now the KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy. Friends at the association recall a man who “never stopped talking cricket” and who would happily revisit that 1986 afternoon, warts and all.
Quiet, principled service rather than headlines defined his life in the game, yet one extraordinary finish ensured he will always be part of cricket’s shared memory.
