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Former Madhya Pradesh batsman dies at 36

Cricket +

Raja Ali, a former Madhya Pradesh and Railways batsman, has died of cardiac arrest in Bhopal. He was 36.

Ali started his first-class career with Madhya Pradesh in 1996-97, but moved to Railways in 2000-01 season. He played 87 first-class matches, scoring 4337 runs at an average of 38.38 with nine centuries, and 54 List A games and scored 1312 runs with one century.

"He was one of our specialist middle-order batsmen," Chandrakant Pandit, the former Test wicketkeeper who played for Madhya Pradesh, said. "A very stout and strong-minded player, he had the ability to hit the ball out of the ground at will. As a result, he was the man to go for Madhya Pradesh when it came to one-dayers. Later on, he had to move to Railways but he remained a very useful cricketer all along. It's very sad that he is no longer with us. May his soul rest in peace."