A former Ranji trophy player who was part of Rahul Dravid’s Under-19 team, M Suresh Kumar, was found dead in his house on Friday night, police said. Police said that 47-year-old Suresh Kumar was found dead in his bedroom at his residence near Alappuzha, and said that prima facie, he died by suicide.

Police told PTI that the cricketer’s body was found by his son, who informed the police.

"Prima facie it is a suicide, but we are looking further into the matter," police told PTI.

Suresh Kumar, a first-class cricketer, played for Kerala in the Ranji Trophy.

A native of Alappuzha, Kumar played 72 First Class matches from 1991-92 to 2005-06 and scored 1,657 runs and took 196 wickets. Suresh Kumar is a left handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. In the 1995-96 Ranji Trophy cup against Rajasthan, Suresh Kumar, who played for Kerala took a hat trick.

He had also played 52 matches for Kerala and 17 matches for Railways in the Ranji Trophy, and also played the Duleep Trophy where he represented South Zone and Central Zone.

He had also figured in the India Under-19 Test and ODI teams in 1992.

Suresh Kumar, known as 'Umbri', was the first Malayalee to make it to the national team when he played for U-19, according to reports. He was also among the best left-hand spinners from South India.

At the time of his death, he was working in the Railways.

Expressing condolences, Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor wrote, "An under-appreciated Kerala cricketer w/a formidable record, M. Suresh Kumar, passed away yesterday at the age of 47.  He was a useful lower-order batsman w/a 1st-class century&7 fifties. OmShant.i"