RIP Arjuman Rao sir

I first met Arjuman Rao sir at the Osmania University cricket selections in 1984. I was an 18 year old first year Engineering student who had already played Under 25, 22 and other age groups for the state. I was a certainty for the tour. He was the coach cum manager. I saw him going about the selection process with all seriousness, polite and well mannered, gentlemanly, always treating everyone with respect. University politics is quite crazy and I wondered how he would survive there. But he did, rolling with the punches over the next seven years that I saw him. Here's how the story unfolded in the years I played. He was coach cum manager in all these years.

 

Arjuman Rao sir - fifth from left in white without the blazer (wonder why)

1984-85. That first year in Dec 1984 we went to Vizag with a very good side led by Zakir. However the team was split in two and there were all kinds of factions and politics and key people were dropped to play certain players. After a couple of protests to Rao sir where ten of us threatened to leave if team selection was not fair, he convinced the other party to agree to do the right thing. But by then it was too late. We lost a fabulous chance to win the South Zone and even All India thanks to these politics. Arjuman Rao sir took it quietly and we returned home.

Pensive - as he normally was 

1985-86. The next year, my second year at Engineering, Rao sir was coach and manager to the best team ever - eight Ranji probables - led by Swaroop. Much hype was made about this time winning All India and we went to Calicut prepared for the All India tournament. Imagine our shock when we lost the first round game! Arjuman Rao sir took it sportingly though it must have pained him to see such talent wasted once again. We returned home empty handed again. I made my Ranji Trophy debut shortly after and did fairly well.

1986-87. In the third attempt DTS Prasad was the captain and the games were in Bangalore. I had been dropped from the Ranji Trophy side. I could not get many wickets in the varsity games as well. Though we did fairly well and played like a team for a change, we lost to Madras University which had Robin Singh in its ranks. Robin's bouncer hit CV on his head and he had to be rushed to the hospital and kept under monitoring overnight. Rao sir quietly handled that. We lost the semi finals and once again, nothing to show.

At dinner - Ayub, me and Arjuman Rao sir

1987-88. I led the university this time and we beat Mysore University which had Javagal Srinath in its ranks and then lost to Bangalore University in the semi final, a match so close that the Bangalore University manager fainted. There was much against us that game- umpiring being one main factor - and for the first time I saw the normally placid Arjuman Rao sir get fired up. Once again, nothing to show. I thought my days at the University were over and felt sad we could not win a single championship despite having such good teams.  

I was not in the University the next year, having completed my engineering and having a gap year but under D Suresh's captaincy Osmania went to the South Zone finals but lost the final. But as finalists they went to Rohinton Baria. Mr Rao must have been happy.

1989-90 I was back in the campus doing my MBA. It was a bad year for University cricket as the selections were rife with politics. We protested, asked for a re-selection, and I even threatened not to play. Amidst all this Rao sir was his calm and composed self, doing the best he can, trying to keep the peace. We lost the first game to Bharthiyar, our nemesis.

With the caps - Arjuman Rao sir wore one very sportingly (in green sweater, sitting)

1990-91. Vijay Kumar alias Malli, led this year. And lead he did like a seasoned leader. It was a team full of first time players and over the hill seniors (like me). But Vijay managed to keep focus and energy together and we actually pulled off a South Zone University win in Vizag. I was thrilled that we could give something back to the alma mater. And to Arjuman Rao sir who struggled through all these years. He was happy certainly. I felt bad I could not tell him that I would not play the second leg - the Rohinton Baria for personal reasons. Our team went to Varanasi in the middle of the Ram Janmabhoomi unrest. But he was thrilled with the Vizag victory and we made him give a speech at Ramakrishna beach and I remembering hugging him - awkwardly - because he was not very expressive that way.

...

After 1991 I lost touch with him until 2019 when we had a reunion of that team again - Vijay, Riasath, Masood, Srikanth, Sridhar, Ayub, Bansi, EP Srinivas, Mahesh Raje, Harikrishna, Kartik, Mohib, Akram, Shujath, Venkat Dhatrak. me and Arjuman Rao sir. He came sportingly, sat quietly as he normally does. Once again when we parted I gave him a hug, once again awkward because he is so withdrawn. I talked to him later about his journey over phone and he gave me his life story. I'll add some excepts here.

"Arjuman Rao, our manager, who had spent a decade in search of the title, going through much hardship in the bargain, stayed uncertainly in the background in his usual manner. A gentleman, quiet and reserved, well-meaning, Rao sir, was steeped in old world values. Now affected by arthritis, I could see that he had slowed down a bit. He had long since retired from his position as Director of Physical Education. As always, he was slightly aloof, as if unsure of his place. But he belonged for sure, perhaps even more than the rest of us, because he was the one certainty to be on that tour before anyone else." 

Arjuman Rao sir passed away yesterday. 

He had some autoimmune disease they said. As he lived, so he went - quietly and gracefully. It's a good time to dedicate our effort to win the University championship to him - he was there all those years putting up with the nonsense and trying to make it work. To you Arjuman Rao sir, the varsity championship and all my efforts towards that then. I will always remember you arranging our breakfast, getting bananas for snacks, doing your best.

2019 reunion pic - Sitting - Riasath, Masood, Vijay, Arjuman Rao sir, me, Ehtesham, Srikanth
Standing - Venkat Dhatrak, Sridhar, Ayub, EP, Balig, Bansi and Shujath 

I am putting together a novel loosely based on that campaign - and the backstory of that is the protagonist's journey as a University cricketer. Arjuman Rao sir is definitely part of the story and perhaps it is for the best that I got his story a year ago. This is from what he told me over phone and what I knew of him.

'Immaculately dressed, slim and elegant, Arjuman Rao, Director of Physical Education at Matrusri Engineering College had been the Coach of the Osmania University team from 1983.Unlike many other coaches he was an active cricketer who played league cricket for Pioneer CC as a middle order batsman and off spin bowler. And unlike several coaches who keep meddling in the team affairs to its detriment, he was always concerned with what was good for the team. He treated players like grownups, respected their wishes and facilitated a cordial atmosphere. If there was one flaw, it was that he was too gentlemanly.

The son of a railway employee, Rao watched his heroes ML Jaisimha, VM Shamraj, SP Mishra and others play zonal and the Ranji Trophy games. Being passionate about the game, he was disappointed at the lack of a sporting culture in Bollarum where he grew up. He had no personal ambitions but decided to help others by becoming a coach. After studying for his BSc and MSc at the Arts and Science College in Secunderabad he joined the National Institute of Sports, Patiala in 1976 to get his certification as a cricket coach.

Having graduated from the NIS as a cricket coach he joined the AP Agricultural University as its Physical Education Director in 1978. In 1982 he spotted an advertisement that MVSR College was offering UGC scales and applied for the job and got it. In 1983, he was appointed the coach of the Osmania University team and has been in search of the title since then.

Fresh to University politics Arjuman Rao was under immense pressure from student leaders and seniors at the Physical Education department who tried to get their players to play.  Threats, kidnapping, physical harm, influencing selectors and captains, taking extra players who had not been selected along with the team were normal practices on the campus. Many times the team was split among the lines of political ideologies, inter college rivalries and sometimes just plain mischief. There was lots of talent but no unity in the team. All his time and energy went into pacifying both sides and trying to keep the peace. From the first year onwards to the fiasco of last year, he had seen everything, borne every humiliation. But he hung on, searching patiently for the elusive University crown for Osmania University, arguably one of the strongest sides in the South.

Arjuman Rao had also witnessed last year’s situation when Masood was the captain. He was aware that there was a threat of Masood being kidnapped. It was a dangerous situation. The selection committee was not the best. As Coach and Manager Rao had little say in the selection but he could put in a word here and there and try to get a balanced team. He hoped they would do a fair job this year. Time was running out for him as well."

Arjuman Rao sir, you did a more than fair job. Well played sir. Thank you for the good times we shared and for the championship. You will always remain in our memories!

Some reactions from friends/ team mates:

Well written Hari...the essence of Anjuman Rao Sir is described so well. - Kartik Mecheri, Osmania 1990 team

Hari you have a wild elephants memory. My God you remember so many many things. The one thing i remember very vividly about Sir is that after winning we had gone to Varanasi. Arjuman Rao Sir and University did not expect us to stay for such a long time. So naturally by the end of the campaign we were short of funds. After finals to go to Varanasi from Vizaq we did not have money to book tickets. I remember accompanying him to the telephone booth to call the Director of Sports Ranga Rao Sir convincing him to send money and explaining to him the games so patiently. Also the way he took us to Varanasi during those turbulent times and how he managed to get us back safely. I don't remember how he managed the finances. He was always cool and calm. Probably that had a calming effect on everyone in the team. Hari your blog says it all. Thanks a lot for putting up such a wonderful tribute. He deserves every word of what said. We love him for the calming affect and the force behind. - Vijay Kumar, Captain of the Osmania side that won in 1990 with Arjuman Rao sir as Coach

Hari bhai- what you said of RIP on what’s appearing is absolutely true. Apart from what you wrote, it gave an nudge to make more than mere RIP service! - Srikanth Iyengar, Osmania 1990 team

nicely done hari bhai 👏👏🤝🤝👍👍Whenever I went to Bolarum he was there standing as a rock to support the Srinivas Reddy led SU Pioneer cricket team, which had great respect for him. His personal favourite was our own leggie Hari Krishna whom he found extremely talented and had predicted that Hari would play for the nation.

I think there will be no better tribute to Arjunan Rao saab than your story being published and read widely

- Dr S Sridhar, Teammate, part of the Osmania 1990 team

Arjuman was my friend n colleague for 3decades.  Abilty to maintain poise despite hurt is a divine quality...he had it in abundance...never seen him show signs of agitation..utter harsh words in my association 

- Dr SGS Murthy, Principal, Matrsusri Engineering College