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Venkatapathy Raju India (Ind)
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling type	Slow left-arm orthodox
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	28	53
Runs scored	240	32
Batting average	10.00	4.00
100s/50s	-/-	-/-
Top score	31	8
Balls bowled	7602	2770
Wickets	93	63
Bowling average	30.72	31.96
5 wickets in innings	5	-
10 wickets in match	1	n/a
Best bowling	6/12	4/46
Catches/stumpings	6/-	8/-
As of 4 February 2006 Source: Cricinfo.com

Sagi Lakshmi Venkatapathy Raju pronunciation (help·info) (Born July 9, 1969 in Alamuru) is an Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a left-arm spin bowler. Known for his variations in flight, he conceded runs and as a result was often overlooked for national selection. Raju was a successor to Maninder Singh in finger-spinning style.

Raju came into the Indian side in 1989-90 after capturing 32 wickets in the domestic season. He made his Test and one day international debut in the tour of New Zealand. When sent in as a night-watchman in his first Test innings, he batted for more than two hours for 31 runs while six wickets fell at the other end. He was part of the Indian team in England in 1990, but the knuckle of his left hand was broken by Courtney Walsh in the match against Gloucestershire which ended his tour.

Back home in India, he helped India win the one-off Test against Sri Lanka in the only Test match played at the Sector 16 Stadium in Chandigarh. Raju was a last minute selection on a wicket that afforded turn and kept low. On the second day, he ran through the Lankan middle order with a spell for 5 wickets for two runs in 39 balls. He took one more wicket on the next day to finish with 6 for 12 in 17.5 overs, four of the batsmen failed to score. His match figures of 8 for 37 in 53 overs won him the only man of the match award of his international career.^[1]

After some good performances on the domestic circuit he was given the chance to perform for his country. But, with figures of 70 wickets in 15 Tests at home and 22 wickets in 12 Tests away, statistically he looked much better when he played in his country.

Anil Kumble, on the eve of his 100th Test remarked that Raju was the best Indian spinner among his contemporaries.^{[citation needed]}

He continued playing for Hyderabad for many years, making the final of the 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy. He retired from first-class cricket in December 2004.

Raju is currently the selector for Indian Cricket Team from south zone.

1. ^ [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153175.html Wisden reports of Sri Lanka's tour of India, 1990-91

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• Interview of Venkatapathy Raju in CricketFundas.com
• Muscles of Might

	India squad - 1992 Cricket World Cup
1 Azharuddin (c) | 2 Kapil Dev | 3 Srikkanth | 4 Shastri | 5 Manjrekar | 6 Tendulkar | 7 Jadeja | 8 Kambli | 9 Amre | 10 Prabhakar | 11 Srinath | 12 More | 13 Raju | 14 Banerjee | 15 None | Coach: Unknown

	India squad - 1996 Cricket World Cup Semi-finalists
1 Azharuddin (c) | 2 Tendulkar | 3 Jadeja | 4 Sidhu | 5 Kambli | 6 Manjrekar | 7 Mongia | 8 Srinath | 9 Prasad | 10 Kumble | 11 Prabhakar | 12 Raju | 13 Ankola | 14 Kapoor | 15 None | Coach: Wadekar (Coach cum Manager)