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XtraTime Web Desk: For any successful international sportsman it gets very difficult to pursue higher studies due to their commitments for making a successful career in the field of sports. Most will admit that due to their passion for the game, they have to leave studies in-between to focus only on their game. It is rare quality for any individual to excel in both sports and academics. India over the years has produced some outstanding cricketers who were brilliant students in their own right. The biggest example is former Team India cricketer and coach Anil Kumble. The leg spinner is a mechanical engineer but also went on to become the most successful bowler for India. Few other successful Indian cricketers who also have a good education background are Javagal Srinath, Ravichandran Ashwin and Murali Vijay. Former India cricketer Amay Khurasiya, who holds the rare distinction of passing the Indian Administrative Services exam (IAS), was born on this day in Jabalpur in 1972.

Khurasiya was a familiar name in the domestic circuit in the late nineties and turned out to be a stalwart of Madhya Pradesh cricket. He amassed 7,304 runs at an average of 41. These are not splendid numbers, but along with Devendra Bundela and Abbas Ali, he held the Madhya Pradesh batting line-up together throughout his career. Only Devendra Bundela and Naman Ojha have scored more runs than him for Madhya Pradesh.

Following his successful seasons during the 90s where he consistently averaged more than 40, Khurasiya was selected for the India team in 1999. He had an impressive debut against Sri Lanka in Pune, scoring 57 off 45 balls. It was also his highest international score. He shared a partnership of 125 runs with Ajay Jadeja. He impressed everyone with his dazzling stroke plays. Due to some reason he could not repeat the same performance.

Khurasiya was picked for the Indian squad for the 1999 World Cup in England but unfortunately did not get an opportunity to play. His ODI career faded out after that. In his short international career, Khurasiya scored 149 runs from 12 matches at an average of only 13.54. Khurasiya made a comeback in the Indian team against Sri Lanka on July 28, 2001. He was cleaned up by Chaminda Vaas for a duck after facing just two deliveries.

Khuraisya has a unique feat under his name in first class cricket, scoring 99 in both innings against Vidarbha during a Ranji Trophy clash in 1991-92. He peaked again in domestic cricket in the new millennium, but with the Indian middle-order more or less settled across formats, he could never make a comeback. He later tried his luck as a television commentator but not with much success.