New Delhi: The cricket and academic communities in Udaipur mourn the loss of Professor Raghubir Singh Rathore, a respected international umpire and distinguished educator, who passed away on Friday evening at the age of 88. He had been unwell for the past 15 days and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Udaipur, where he breathed his last around 4 pm.
Professor Rathore was a multifaceted personality. While he was known for his firm umpiring on international cricket grounds, he also shaped the futures of thousands of students as a geography professor at Mohanlal Sukhadia University (MLSU). Among his notable students were prominent figures such as Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, former Member of Parliament Namo Narayan Meena, and former IAS officer Dharam Singh Sagar.
During his umpiring career, Professor Rathore was one of the leading international umpires from the Central Zone, which includes Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Railways. A significant milestone came in 1992 when he officiated his first Test match between India and Sri Lanka in Chandigarh. In 1993, he umpired another Test match in Chennai between India and England. Over his career, he umpired a total of seven international One Day Internationals (ODIs), beginning with a match between India and Australia.
Beyond umpiring, Professor Rathore made invaluable contributions to cricket administration in Udaipur. His close friend and former international umpire Balwant Sharma shared that Rathore served as the secretary of the Udaipur District Cricket Association for three decades, from 1966 to 1996, before passing on the responsibilities to Sharma.
The news of Professor Rathore’s passing sparked a wave of grief in the sports community. A condolence meeting was held at the Wonder Cricket Academy premises, where district cricket association secretary Manoj Chaudhary, coaches, and players observed a moment of silence in his memory. Sports enthusiasts in Udaipur expressed that with his demise, an era has ended—an era marked by equal dedication to education and sports.