Vijay Sankar Jolly Rovers takes over Cricketing Reigns

In an interaction last year with this writer, N Sankar, who passed away two Sundays ago, had expressed apprehension at the way the first division was being sidelined in city cricket and the challenges cricket promoting corporates were facing. Though minimal cricket had taken place in the last two years in local cricket, he had directed Bharath Reddy, his cricket manager, to pay the full professional fees to all his players so they were all taken care during the downturn.

Bharath Reddy, who is completing four decades this year after joining hands with Sankar, too had been frustrated at the way the TNCA was defocusing on the Palayampatti shield and turning its attention to the shorter version TNPL.

The two, who had formed one of the most successful cricketing partnerships in the country, had wondered if it was worth continuing supporting cricket in the current environment. However, the five decades cricket passion of Sankar finally shone through.

On the sidelines of a memoriam event organised in the city on Sunday evening, Bharath Reddy told this writer that Sankar had called on him to take a promise which he could not refuse to the man he saw as his ONLY MENTOR in life “Whenever Vijay takes over the cricketing reigns at Sanmar, please promise me that you will support him like you have supported me over the last four decades” Sankar told Bharath Reddy.

Interestingly, in a conversation with this writer in November 2020, Vijay Sankar had said that his focus had all been on managing the large number of companies under the Sanmar banner and that in the foreseeable future, his appa would continue to anchor the cricket management.

Right through his teenage days, Vijay was just as passionate in cricket as his appa and would travel to the city grounds to watch the local league matches. He also managed Kohinoor for a limited period before he went overseas to pursue his higher education.

Former India Cricketer who was one of the first cricketers to arrive on Sunday evening offered his condolences to Vijay Sankar and spoke to him about appa's greatness "My first big offer in cricket came from Sankar in the late 1970s much before I was selected for India. He always spotted early the potential in players."

Srikkanth told this writer at the event that it was because of those like Sankar that several cricketers were able to make their mark in cricket in the late 60s. "He came back in a big way in the 1980s promoting cricketers and providing them with the much needed opportunities to showcase their talent."

 

In a tribute to N Sankar, tennis legend Vijay Amritraj said "Sankar was majestic in the way he played tennis. He was very special in every way and inspired me to play tennis. Whenever you entered his room, you knew you were in the presence of a leader, someone who made you better as a human being. The way he carried himself and conducted himself was a big learning for me in life."

In a country as large as India, the Sanmar Tennis League was the only one of its kind and he left a lasting legacy.

He also taught another important aspect about sports "Take up a sport, play to the best of your ability and make friends for life."

India's greatest all rounder Kapil Dev, one of Bharath Reddy's closest friends in the country, has made it to every big cricketing event at Sanmar in the last few decades. He said that he considered N Sankar as his role model in life "Sometime in life you look up and see who you want to be. For me, he was the role model. He created happiness in some many people. In Indian cricket, there has not been a cricketer who has not benefitted from Sankar."

 

If there was any doubt on whether Vijay Sankar would continue to support cricket in the current environment, he set it to rest on Sunday evening. In a conversation with this writer,  a tired looking Vijay confirmed that he will be anchoring the cricket management and continuing to support the two clubs that they are currently running.

Sankar had said in earlier conversation with this writer that Vijay was indeed interested in the team’s cricket activities but his professional role at Sanmar and his continuous travel on work had delayed his entry into cricket management at Sanmar but with age catching up with him (Sankar), it was only a matter of time before his son took over the cricketing reigns. Sankar’s passion kept him going right till the end. He would have been happy to see Alwarpet get back into the first division and may be Jolly Rovers winning the Palayampatti shield yet another time.

The good news for the cricketers from Jolly Rovers is that Vijay Sankar will be continuing to support the club that his father had from the late 1960s. In a speech on Sunday evening, he told the audience of over 700 that when he asked his appa on taking up more responsible roles at Sanmar, he had been told that the transition would take place seamlessly even without him realizing. And Vijay said that it had indeed happened that way. However, in cricket, with the passing of Sankar, for the first time in several decades, there will be a new cricketing leader at the top. 

Having seen Vijay hop on so passionately from one ground to another in the 1980s and 90s and one who has tracked cricket quite closely over the last three decades, this writer is confident that just like in the corporate role, this transition would be seamless and the cricketers of Jolly Rovers and Alwarpet would find Vijay just as passionate as his appa.

Here’s wishing Vijay Sankar the very best in his new role as the Leader of Sanmar Cricket.

N Sankar @ 75 -  https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/11/jolly-rovers-n-sankar-75.html