V. R. Raghunath

Vokkaliga Ramachandra Raghunath (born 1 November 1988) is a former Indian professional field hockey player. He played as a fullback and was known for his abilities as a drag flicker.

Early life

Raghunath was born on 1 November 1988 to a former Indian field hockey player V. S. Ramachandra and Doddamane Bojamma along with his two sisters, Niveditha Sanketh and Kavana Yatheesh.

Career

Raghunath made his debut for India in the sub-junior side in the 2003 sub-junior Asia Cup in Dhaka that India won. He made his senior debut in the national side during the bi-lateral series in 2005 against Pakistan, as a replacement to an injured Sandeep Singh. He was a part of the Indian team that won bronze in the 2007 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, silver in 2008, gold in the 2007 Asia Cup and silver in 2013. Having scored six goals in the 2013 Asia Cup, Raghunath was awarded the 'Best Player of the Tournament'.

Hockey India League

In the auction of the inaugural Hockey India League, Raghunath was bought by the Uttar Pradesh franchise for US$76,000 with his base price being US$13,900. The team was named Uttar Pradesh Wizards. He captained the team to a third-place finish in the inaugural season. He ended the first season having scored 9 goals in 14 games and the second season scoring 8 goals in 12 games.