Lucknow: The tributes were befitting to the man and the goodwill that he had earned. It was a sad day for the Lucknow sports fraternity as senior sports journalist and former sports editor of The Times of India, Lucknow, Santosh Suri (68), passed away following a heart attack early Saturday.His sudden demise left everyone in shock, and condolences began to pour in as the news spread in sports circles.BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla wrote on X: “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Santosh Suri. A familiar journalist and a trusted voice around Indian and UP cricket for many years. His words carried honesty, depth, and a genuine love for the game. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace.”Director (sports) RP Singh and former director, SAI Lucknow, Rachna Govil also paid respect to the senior journalist.According to family members, Suri complained of chest pain around 3am and was taken to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors declared him dead. His last rites were performed at Baikunth Dham, where journalists and sports personalities paid rich tributes to him.Former UP minister Mohsin Raza said, “I’m deeply saddened and pained by the news of the demise of senior sports journalist Santosh Suri. May God grant his soul a place in His eternal abode and give his family the strength to bear this loss.”Remembering Suri, former Indian player Gyanendra Pandey said that he was a wonderful human being and an inspirational figure. He added, “May his soul rest in peace and may God give strength to his family in this difficult time.”Sports journalists from Delhi also paid tribute to Suri during the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium.They recalled that Suri was passionate about his job and was very active even after retirement. He used to cover matches across the globe at his own expense and was planning to cover the Women’s T20 World Cup in England.A thorough gentleman, Suri joined the Lucknow edition of The Times of India in 1984. After retiring from TOI in 2016, he remained associated with Mid-Day and continued covering major cricketing events such as the World Cup, Asia Cup, and IPL.He had a remarkable ability to analyse even the smallest developments in sports in a simple and precise manner.He possessed deep knowledge of Uttar Pradesh cricket and its emerging players, earning him the title of the “encyclopedia of UP cricket”.He had also expressed a desire to pen a book on UP cricket. Suri was once invited to the UP dressing room to deliver pep talks to players.Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1958, Suri learned the basics of journalism in Bengaluru. He also spent considerable time in Jamnagar (Gujarat) and Patiala (Punjab).Apart from journalism, he was passionate about playing cricket. He represented several cricket clubs as a medium-fast bowler, in addition to playing school cricket, and was the mainstay of TOI-Lucknow cricket team. He also played alongside former Indian batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu. In the 1990s, while playing for District Cricket Association (DCA) XI in the popular Sheesh Mahal Cricket Tournament, he once dismissed Ajay Jadeja for a duck.Many young journalists learned the nuances of sports journalism under his guidance. Suri is survived by his wife Gloria and daughter Nikita.
