On a rainy July afternoon in 1988, a train fell off a bridge and took a young cricketer with it. The Peruman tragedy near Kollam killed 105 people. One of them was a 27-year-old Karnataka all-rounder who was still figuring out his future in the game.
The boy who chose cricket over convention
Ranjit Khanwilkar was born in Maharashtra but his heart belonged to cricket. He started as a fast bowler in Rajkot. That changed when he moved to Bangalore. The city’s cricket culture transformed him into a proper batter. Soon he was batting at number three for Karnataka.
This was no ordinary side. He shared dressing rooms with GR Viswanath, Brijesh Patel, Roger Binny and Sudhakar Rao. These were men who had faced international bowling. Ranjit fit right in.
Stats don’t capture the full story
His first-class record reads 1637 runs at 32.74. Three centuries. Eight fifties. And 41 wickets with his handy medium pace. Doesn’t sound spectacular, does it? But cricket isn’t just about averages. It’s about when you make those runs.
Ranjit made them when his team needed him most. That 32.74 average hides something important. It hides a man who stood up when the pressure was on. Who faced down the best attacks in the country.
1983 Ranji final that made his name
That final against Bombay at Bangalore proved his worth. Karnataka needed a first innings lead to win. Ranjit walked in and made 32 crucial runs. That knock helped Karnataka lift the trophy.
Two years earlier, he had hammered a century in another Ranji final against Delhi. Six batters scored hundreds in that match. Ranjit’s name sits among Karnataka’s finest.
Decision that changed everything
Life as a cricketer in the eighties meant needing a job. Railways offered security. A central minister made promises too. He told Ranjit that dominating for Central Zone would fast-track him to the Indian team.
So Ranjit left Karnataka cricket for Railways. The move backfired completely. He couldn’t even practice in Bangalore anymore. Worse, Central Zone didn’t pick him. This from a man who regularly played Duleep Trophy for South Zone. His cricket suffered badly.
The last conversation about coming home
Roger Binny remembers Ranjit’s frustration. He wanted to return to Karnataka cricket. Binny says they discussed this before the tragedy. Ranjit had even met Karnataka Cricket Association officials. The plan was simple. Quit Railways, come back home, restart his career.
He was just 27. Time was still on his side. He was engaged. The wedding was fixed for October. He was heading to Trivandrum to finalise the date.
Journey that never ended
The Island Express left Bangalore for Kanyakumari. July 8, 1988. Monsoon had arrived properly in Kerala. The train crossed the Peruman bridge near Kollam around 1:15 pm.
Something went wrong. Ten bogies plunged into Ashtamudi lake. Passengers who were collecting luggage for Kollam station never made it. Ranjit was in one of those carriages. Not a single person survived from his compartment.
Teammate who remembered everything
Roger Binny still thinks about that day. “Even on his last journey, bad luck followed him,” he says. They called Ranjit “Appu” in the dressing room. He made them laugh every evening. His mimicry of cricketers and movie stars was legendary.
Binny adds something else. In 1985, Ranjit played for President’s XI against Allan Border’s Australians. A big score would have meant India selection. That was the word going around. The chance slipped away. Then Railways happened. And finally, the train.
The innings that showed his grit
The 1985 Duleep Trophy final tells you what Karnataka lost. South Zone were four down for 36 against West Zone. Ranjit walked in and made 98. He added 206 runs with Binny. This wasn’t a flat track bully. This was a man who could dig in when his team needed him most.
Funeral that spoke volumes
His funeral happened in Trivandrum. Sadananda Viswanath traveled there. So did other close friends. The Karnataka team had lost its entertainer. The man who kept them loose during tense Ranji campaigns. The player who was ready to give up a secure railway job to chase his cricket dreams again.
What we talk about when we talk about lost talent
Every domestic cricket circuit has these stories. Players who were “unlucky.” Who “didn’t get the right breaks.” Ranjit’s case is different.
We can point to the exact moment his story ended. July 8, 1988, 1:15 pm. On a bridge in Kerala. The what-ifs haunt his teammates. What if he had stayed with Karnataka? What if that minister’s promises had been real? What if he had survived and returned for that October wedding?
Memory that refuses to fade
37 years later, People still talks about Ranjit. The Karnataka cricket circles haven’t forgotten. They remember the mimicry sessions in hotel rooms. They remember the crucial 32 in the Ranji final. They remember a fit, well-built athlete who loved the game.
The stats sheet shows 40 first-class matches. His teammates remember a lifetime cut short. They remember a man who was coming home to Karnataka cricket. The train just never let him get there.