Remember Amay Khurasiya, 1999 World Cup teammate of Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid? He cleared UPSC exam, posted as...

A cricketer’s life takes a new turn in late 30s and, for some lucky ones, in early 40s. In our latest feature series, DNA has been covering cricket stars placed in unusual professions after ending their playing careers. We have shed light on the lives of cricketers like India’s Jatin Paranjpe and Joginder Sharma, Sri Lanka’s Suraj Randiv and Zimbabwe’s Henry Olonga. Today, we will talk about Amay Khurasiya, a player who holds the unique distinction of also being a civil servant.

The 1972-born cricketer once featured in a star batting lineup with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Ajay Jadeja. The Madhya Pradesh cricketer was a young prodigy who broke into first-class cricket at just 17. The stylish left-handed middle-order batter made his India debut in 1999 in the Pepsi Cup against Sri Lanka.

Khurasiya is best remembered on the cricket pitch for his memorable 57 run-knock in just 45 balls with a fiery strike rate for the times. His career at the highest level, however, was not a long one. Khurasiya played just 12 ODIs for the Men in Blue. He scored a total of 149 runs, playing his last match for India in 2001 against Sri Lanka. In first-class cricket, Khurasiya was a heavyweight who made over 7,000 runs in 1999 matches.

What sets Amay Khurasiya apart is the fact that he cleared the prestigious UPSC IAS exam even before he had made his debut for India. Despite having a civil servant career in front of him, Khurasiya pursued his passion. Khurasiya reportedly holds the post of an Inspector in Indian Customs & Central Excise Department. Apart from his bureaucratic duties, Khurasiya also nurtures young talent for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and further to the international stage. He has mentored and coached the likes of Virat Kohli’s RCB teammate Rajat Patidar and LSG and India star Avesh Khan.