In the week that an advocate’s family sold their independent house on Pichupillai Street to a Trust dedicating it to the new temple for Maha Periyava (https://www.mylaporetimes.com/2021/11/sannidhi-for-maha-periyava-to-come-up-on-pichupillai-street-mylapore/), a former TN Ranji cricketer from the 1960s has made a gift to a mutt.
86 year old R. Chandrasekaran has gifted his apartment ( in Arun Flats) on West Circular Road, Mandavelipakkam to the Ramakrishna Mutt, Mylapore.
He played first division cricket for State Bank for close to two decades and also represented a high profile All India State Bank team comprising Indian Test cricketers. In 1963 – ’64, he took over 100 wickets in the local season for SBI. He retired from the bank as the AGM in 1996.
This senior had lost his son Vasanth, also a former Ranji cricketer last month, aged just 45 on the night of the IPL final (https://www.mylaporetimes.com/2021/10/former-tn-ranji-cricketer-vasanth-chandrasekaran-passes-away-aged-45/). Chandrasekaran had lost his wife a few years ago.
In what is a noble gesture, Chandrasekaran has handed the copies of his flat’s documents to the Mutt for registration in its favour. His brother R. Mohan, a former TN state footballer was with him when he handed over the papers to the Mutt. As per the agreement, the Mutt can take over the possession of his flat a month after his demise.
Chandrasekaran has been a multi faceted personality in cricket all his life.
He has been a First Class cricketer, an umpire, match referee, treasurer of the TNCA, scorer, selector, manager of the state team, owner of multiple TNCA league teams, committee member at the TNCA and a globe trotter who took teams on overseas trips providing opportunities to budding talent.
He also captained the P S School cricket team. Interestingly, the octogenarian has now taken to twitter (@chandracric) and expresses his views on politics and cricket on the social media platform.
- Report by S. Prabhu
