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October 15, 2025, marked 40 years since ace cricketer and tennis subordinate Cotah Ramaswami walked retired of his location successful Chennai, ne'er to return. On that time successful 1985, astatine 89 years, helium near down his children and a wide ellipse of relatives, each wondering what could person prompted him to renounce worldly beingness truthful abruptly and inexplicably.
It took 7 agelong years for the authorities to officially state him “assumed dead.” The disappearance of Ramaswami, a erstwhile treble international, remains a tragic enigma that has ne'er been afloat explained.
During the 7 years betwixt his disappearance successful 1985 and 1992, galore rumours circulated astir Ramaswami — immoderate arsenic far-fetched arsenic claims that helium had taken up hermitage successful the Himalayas oregon astatine Kasi. His contiguous household spent sizeable clip and wealth trying to hint him, pursuing each seemingly promising lead, lone to person their hopes repeatedly dashed. They visited respective ashrams successful hunt of the distinguished nonagenarian, but each travel ended successful disappointment. Eventually, exhausted and disheartened, the household gave up their search.
One mentation suggested that Ramaswami whitethorn person walked into the water to permission the satellite behind. According to The Hindu archives, helium had, connected much than 1 occasion, confided successful a grandnephew — besides a erstwhile cricketer — that helium often dreamed vividly of walking into the sea.
Illustrious beingness and career
Ramaswami grew up successful the sprawling Luz House, a mansion successful Mylapore, arsenic the 3rd lad of Buchi Babu Nayudu — revered arsenic the ‘Father of Madras Cricket’ for laying the instauration of the Presidency cricket matches betwixt Europeans and Indians during Pongal, a contented that began successful 1916 and continued until 1952.
Ramaswami played successful the Old Trafford and The Oval Tests of 1936, scoring 40, 60, 29, and an unbeaten 41. He topped the Indian batting averages successful that bid — a singular feat, fixed that the squad included prolific scorers similar Vijay Merchant and Mushtaq Ali, some of whom deed centuries successful the precise Test wherever Ramaswami made his debut.
‘A strict disciplinarian’
“At 89, this six-footer stood gangly and straight, defying property — helium ne'er needed speechmaking glasses oregon proceeding aids, ne'er smoked, drank, oregon chewed pan. A strict disciplinarian, sometimes possibly unreasonably stern with his friends and children, helium remained an Englishman astatine heart, yet was a existent patriot and an ardent admirer of Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi,” recalled 1 of his relatives.
His world achievements took him to Cambridge University and connected his return, helium accepted a highly liable station successful the Madras Agricultural Services. In the midst of his assorted activities, Ramaswami recovered the clip to laic bare his outstanding sporting qualities.
Tennis triumphs
In 1919, Ramaswami near for Cambridge, wherever helium studied agriculture astatine Pembroke College. He reached Cambridge during the winter, which made him gravitate towards tennis. He impressed everybody with his marque of powerfulness tennis, and was selected successful the elite Combined Universities (Oxford and Cambridge) squad successful their 1923 circuit of the U.S. to play against the combined Harvard-Yale team.
Cotah Ramaswami during an interrogation connected September 25, 1984 | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
At Cambridge, helium was denied a accidental to look successful the cricket trials.
In 1922, Ramaswami represented India successful the Davis Cup successful England. Ramaswami besides had a mates of celebrated tennis triumphs there. In his last twelvemonth astatine college, helium bunked people to triumph the South of England Championships astatine Eastbourne, a tourney that helium entered nether the sanction A. Rabbit to debar being caught by assemblage authorities. He defeated England Davis Cup subordinate Sir Gordon Lowe successful the last and is the lone Indian subordinate to triumph the tournament. He besides won the doubles rubric of the prestigious Queen’s Club tourney successful 1923 partnering Oxford’s Kingsley.
After returning to India successful 1924, Ramaswami worked arsenic the Assistant Director of Agriculture. In the sporting sphere, helium switched backmost to cricket, churning retired superb performances successful the Presidency matches and the Ranji Trophy.
Ramaswami’s coagulated sound of 60 for Madras against the visiting squad from England led by Arthur Gilligan successful 1927 emphasised his planetary credentials. He hammered 83 against Jack Ryder’s visiting squad from Australia successful 1936.
These performances ensured Ramaswami’s enactment for the 1936 England tour, which is notorious successful the annals of Indian cricket for its factionalism, intrigues, and controversies. At the property of 41, Ramaswami made his Test debut, and with scores of 40 and 60 astatine Old Trafford and 29 and 41 (not out) astatine The Oval, helium stood 2nd successful the Indian batting averages with 56.67.
Ramaswami served arsenic a federation selector for 8 years earlier resigning successful protestation astatine the rampant factionalism successful the Board. In 1960, helium retired from the nationalist sphere to travel athletics from the sidelines.
‘Inexplicable disappearance’
P. Ramesh Naidu, his comparative and a erstwhile cricketer, said, “He simply walked retired of the location 1 time and vanished. After that, we were ne'er capable to hint him. Both his sons and respective others searched extensively. At the clip helium went missing, helium was hale and hearty, with nary age-related ailments. Just 4 days earlier his disappearance, I had met him astatine Gandhi Nagar. We filed a constabulary complaint, and the constabulary conducted searches, arsenic did the household connected their own. Some said helium walked into the oversea — but that is each hearsay. The lone information is that 1 good morning, helium walked retired and ne'er returned.”
“After a fewer years, we received a non-traceable certificate. He was a treble planetary and adjacent played cricket successful his forties. It remains a large enigma — we searched everywhere, from the Ramana Maharishi Ashram successful Thiruvannamalai to respective different spiritual places, but thing ever came of it,” helium added.
