TNPL and CSK felicitate four cricket stars from the 1960s and the 'aasthana' groundsman at Chepauk
Rajagopal bursts into tears on meeting N Srinivasan near the Chepauk Pavilion
"If I had been in the BCCI in 1967, you would have been on that flight to Australia" - NS tells KR Rajagopal at Chepauk on Tuesday evening
81 year old KR Rajagopal the TN batting legend from the late 1960s walked into the TNCA after over four decades on Tuesday evening, this time on a wheel chair for a simple felicitation ceremony in front of the Pavilion at Chepauk. In March this year, when this writer met him at his home in Banashankari, he was an unrecognizable frail figure from his hey days in cricket but with the personal care taker who has been with him for the last four months, he has made a dramatic improvement, so much so that he was able to make this trip earlier today from Bangalore along with the care taker.
Just after 4pm, he was welcomed on to the first floor at Chepauk by Hony Secretary RS Ramaswamy who recalled the days of Rajagopal’s belligerent batting. Soon after, he was joined in the room by mates from the 1960s SVS Mani(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/svs-mani-cricketer-selector-coach.html) and batting maverick R Prabhakar.
The three recalled many a match played at Chepauk and Marina in the 1960s. Prabhakar raised a cheer in the room when he spoke about Rajagopal stepping out to new ball bowlers and struck them with carefree ease. The most talked topic of the evening was about how Prabhakar would have walked into any T20 team of today and become a star of the shorter form of the game.
Rajagopal bursts into Tears
At 4.30pm, former TNCA President N Srinivasan arrived and there was KR Rajagopal (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/03/kr-rajagopal-dashing-opener-brilliant.html) waiting for him in his wheel chair. As soon as he met NS, he burst into tears recalling the significant life changing contribution made by India Cements in his life, both in cricket and at work and the glorious decade he had in cricket with India Cements and at the factory in Thalaiyathu, Tirunelveli. Following a big long hug, even as the two sat just outside the boundary line at Chepauk, NS reminded Rajagopal of how he would delight fans ( himself included) tearing into the opposition attack right from the first over.
You would have been on the Australia flight had I been in the BCCI
In the conversation, NS told Rajagopal that had he been in the BCCI in 1967, he would have ensured that Rajagopal boarded the flight to Australia after the prolific and almost unparalled ( at that time) start he had had to that domestic season in India ( Rajagopal scored over 800 runs that season) “Unfortunately I was not in the BCCI then” NS told Rajagopal almost apologetically. On pure cricketing merit, he should have made that trip to Australia, NS said.
Soon after, they were joined by the limping groundsman K Parthsarathy, son of KS Kannan. NS’s first question to Parthasarathy was about the physical challenges he was facing currently. While Rajagopal moved on Wheel Chair, Parthasarathy could barely move with the walking stick.
Bury him @ Chepauk
Parthasarathy’s wife told NS that her husband was to have been with the physio this evening and cancelled that visit only to be at Chepauk. She told NS that her husband has spoken only about Chepauk and its pitch all his life and he knew nothing other than Chepauk. She said if he had one final wish in life, it was to be buried in Chepauk, such was his lifelong emotional attachment with Chepauk.
Rajagopal recalled his great association with KS Kannan who he said was one of the greatest swing bowlers he had seen “he would make the ball talk especially in Marina” Rajagopal told Kannan’s son Parthasarathy.
Rs. 12 Lakhs cheques - TNPL and CSK
At 5pm, in a simple event, N Srinivasan handed out a cheque of Rs. 5lakhs on behalf of TNPL and an additional cheque of Rs. 7lakhs on behalf of CSK and that these players and the groundsman deserved this fully for their contribution to TN cricket.
The fifth beneficiary the Bangalore based Najam Hussain (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/10/najam-hussain-80th-birthday.html) could not make it due to ill health.
Following this, there was a 'Thank You for your Service' cake cutting event with R Prabhakar feeding KR Rajagopal in memory of his great knocks in the late 1960s.
In late March this year, N Sankar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/11/jolly-rovers-n-sankar-75.html) sent a personal full time assistant from Madras to Bangalore to take care of Rajagopal and this has dramatically improved the health of the batting legend who is now getting back to reasonably good health.
This writer was at Chepauk on Tuesday evening on the special invitation of KR Rajagopal.