R Suresh, who played cricket with Kumble, says a college umpire behind Jumbo’s '99 10-wicket haul

He may be occupying the corner office of a consulting firm now, but R Suresh, the MD of Insist Consulting, used to love getting his hands dirty on the field, playing cricket. The executive has played with some top Indian cricketers like Anil Kumble during intercollegiate and league matches in Bengaluru.

Turns out, Kumble’s 10-wicket haul against Pakistan in 1999 would never have happened had he not been reprimanded by an umpire during a college level tournament.

“Kumble was a fast bowler at that time and was called out for chucking. The umpire not only ‘no-balled’ him but also advised him to bowl spin instead. The rest is history,” Suresh said.


So does he miss cricket in the corporate world? “Not really,” Suresh quips. “Sports and deal-making has the same fuel, adrenaline.”