Venkatesh Prasad – One of the finest Indian bowlers, who is lethal, both off and on the field

Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad is a former Indian cricketer. Born in Bangalore, Karnataka on 5th August 1969, Prasad started his cricketing career as the right-arm medium-fast bowler against New Zealand on 2nd April 1994. In his brief but effective cricketing career between 1994 to 2001, Venkatesh Prasad was phenomenal with his ability to swing the ball both ways. After his retirement from active cricket, he became a bowling coach and coached national as well as various IPL franchise teams.

Other than cricket, Venkatesh Prasad famously known as Venky has been vocal on social media taking stern nationalist stances against anti-India groups. On his birth anniversary, we will remember some of his best bowling spells, both off as well as on the field.

Venky – The Master Bowler

Venkatesh Prasad’s ability to swing both ways was his greatest skill. Although, he was noted for his swing and seam movement and Indian conditions are not so helpful to such bowlers. Yet, his best cricket innings were recorded here in India.

On the 28th January 1999 Test match against Pakistan, Venkatesh Prasad recorded his best cricket career. In the nail-biting Test match, he took 5 wickets for 0 runs ensuring his career-best 6 wickets for 33 runs. Although India lost that test by 12 runs, but the match remained the best for Prasad.

The other memorable event in his career was the 1996 Cricket World Cup. When Pakistani batsman Aamir Sohail openly sledged him after hitting a boundary. In the quarter-final match of India versus Pakistan, India scored a total of 287 in the first innings. Chasing the total of 287, the pair of Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail made a first-wicket partnership of 84 runs. In the 15th over of the game, Sohail hit the boundary of Prasad and pointed the bat in the direction of the shot, invoking an aggressive gesture towards the baller.

On the very next ball, Sohail tried to do the same, but the swinging delivery of Prasad hit the stumps crashing all the bells. The aggressive stance of Sohail was turned off and ‘Venky’ became the household name in India.

For his achievements in cricket, he was named the Ceat International Cricketer of the year in 1996/97, and in 2000 he was awarded the prestigious Arjun Award.

Imparting experience to successive generation

After his successful cricketing career in the 90s, he suffered major injuries and announced his retirement from active cricket in 2005. After the failed campaign in the 2007 World Cup, Venkatesh Prasad became the bowling coach of the national team. After that, he joined Chennai Super Kings as the bowling coach and in 2011, he joined Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Advancing his career in sports management, Prasad recently completed a post-graduate degree in International Sports Management. Sharing the news he wrote on Twitter, “Never stop learning because life never stops teaching. It was an honor and privilege to receive PG Cert in International Sports Management from the University of London. Look forward to contributing more in the field of Sports.”

Also Read: Former pacer Venkatesh Prasad whacks Mission Ambedkar for their Hinduphobic tweet about NASA intern

Off the field lethal bowling of Venkatesh Prasad

In recent times, he has been vocal on various issues on social media. From cricket to politics, he is known to speak outright truth.

Taking a strong stance against the recent selection procedure in the Indian Cricket team, he recently wrote, “There was a time when you were out of form, you would be dropped irrespective of reputation. Sourav, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Zaheer, and Bhajji all have been dropped when not in form. They have gone back to domestic, scored runs, and staged a comeback”.

“The yardsticks seem to have changed drastically now, where there is rest for being out of form. There is no way for progress. There is so much talent in the country and cannot play on reputation. One of India’s greatest match-winners, Anil Kumble sat out on so many occasions, need action for the greater good”, he added.

He gave an earful to a Twitter handle named Mission Ambedkar, which was mocking Pratima Roy — the NASA intern whose photo was posted by the premier space agency.

Taking to Twitter, the pacer knocked apart the account which claims to spread the vision of Dr. BR Ambedkar to the world. Prasad whilst sharing a screenshot of a report published in TV9 Marathi, in which supporters of Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr. Ambedkar, could be seen offering milk on a Shivalinga and praying for his recovery, wrote, “Mocking her for wearing her heart on her sleeves & being a devotee. On the other hand, supporters put Milk on Shivalinga, praying for the recovery of Prakash Ambedkar’s health, who is the grandson of the great Dr. Ambedkar. Babasaheb would have been ashamed of this handle using his name” tweeted

Before the World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand, an Australian ‘journalist’ named CJ Werleman unnecessarily brought the Hindutva angle into the competition and used it to ridicule the Indians. Mind you, Werleman wasn’t only mocking those believing in the Hindutva philosophy but rather cleverly, he was showing his racist tendencies towards the Indians.

He tweeted, “I’m rooting for New Zealand in the ICC Test Championship Final because imagining 500 million Hindutva extremists being happy, even for a second, makes me miserable”.

However, Prasad wasn’t the one to take the jibe lying down and slam the reporter by tweeting, “Whoever wins is fine, but what a sad low, and miserable life this man is. The fact that this man is given an opportunity to write in publications speaks poorly of the publications. Get well soon Mr. Miserable”

There are multiple such instances when Prasad has been seen taking ‘the bells’ of anti-India forces on social media. These days, Venkatesh Prasad has brought the ‘Sohail moment’ back on social media. Constantly seen thrashing anti-India forces, Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad has become a nationalist voice. One of the finest Indian bowlers is lethal, both off and on the field.

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