The Lion needs to rope in cubs to hunt for trophies

The Sunrisers sealed the fate of CSK somewhat with a facile win at the MAC Stadium on the last Sunday of April. The following day, I attended a promotional event of a book written by a dear friend of mine. An ardent fan of the Chennai Super Kings, he titled his book, “Leo –The untold story of the CSK”. PS Raman, the author of the book is a multi-faceted persona, and he invited me to be a part of a panel discussion. The book, Leo, contains enough unheard-of stories, tracing the journey of CSK since the inception of IPL. It is only natural that various other facets of cricket are written about in the book as well.

Most of the points touched upon during that chat related to the Chennai Super Kings. But, during the discussion, the ubiquitous popularity of the CSK did not overshadow other aspects of cricket.  A common denominator between PS Raman, aka Bharat Raman, and yours truly is the Grand Prix Cricket Club. It was only inevitable that some part of the discussion gravitated towards Grand Prix CC and the contribution of R Mukund, the Secretary of GPCC.

Mukund was well and truly a friend, philosopher and guide to many. Mukund ran a private cricket club, comprising amateurs, in a professional fashion. In the late 70’s, support for cricket from the corporate entities was in its nascent stage. But that did not deter Mukund from making Grand Prix a major force in Chennai cricket. Grand Prix came into the league by becoming the finalists of T Srinivasaraghavan memorial trophy in the mid 70’s. Srinivasaraghavan memorial trophy, a 30 over knock-out tournament for the non affiliated clubs of the TNCA was the only route to get into the TNCA league then.

The other common denominator for Bharat Raman is the surreal culture that prevailed in both the Grand Prix and the CSK squads. This is not a comparison by any means but just a matter of drawing your attention to the similarities. The managers of both the teams created a fantastic atmosphere and accepted the results with equanimity. The team culture was all about backing each other and excelling at the next available opportunity. Both Grand Prix and CSK were popular even amongst their peers and enjoyed a high success rate.

Grand Prix got promoted every year from the fifth division to finally play in the first division. Grand Prix also figured in the top four on the league points table to qualify for an invitational tournament, which made the corporate sides see red. CSK, of course, have won the IPL title five times so far. As far as Bharat was concerned, it was just a transition from one squad to another with several similarities. I wonder what his association with CSK would have been like if its culture was any different from that of Grand Prix.

Grand Prix CC comprised a squad of players who enjoyed playing the game, but they played it hard. A bunch of students revelled in making life difficult for the much-fancied teams in the TNCA first division. A team of young players who gelled well ambushed teams sponsored by the corporate entities. I can never forget the tenth wicket playing out fifteen overs to draw a match. Fast bowlers playing for Tamil Nadu then, bowled those fifteen overs and that too with the second new ball. This happened after the cocky pair refused to come off the field when the umpires had offered them the light!

The Grand Prix guys never missed an opportunity to exasperate their captain, even if he was a XII standard student. But though I was younger to them, they supported me to the hilt and tolerated my tirades at times. I dare say that the Grand Prix days were the best days of my cricketing life. The other members of that side will echo the same sentiment, I am sure, as we had great fun.  

Getting back to Bharat Raman, he was not just a passionate follower of the game in his younger days. He frustrated bowlers no end with his solid defence by occupying the crease for hours as a middle order batsman. His performances earned him a place in the TNCA Juniors side and the Madras University side as well. Bharat beams with pride when he mentions that he partnered the late VB Chandrasekar in the City Colleges team. But Bharat Raman realised very quickly that there was more to gain monetarily and otherwise in the field of law. So, he pursued a career in law and carved a niche for himself. He never allowed his passion for cricket subside at any stage, and came back to cricket as an administrator.  

Bharat’s association with cricket deepened further when the IPL started and Bharat Raman became one of CSK’s ardent fans. Not surprisingly, he has written his second book LEO to celebrate his cherished team and his beloved friend N. Srinivasan. The book is as compelling as his arguments in a courtroom and as racy as a Raina’s ripper. Bharat has concluded the book cleverly, giving himself some leeway to write a sequel, sometime in the future. Of course, Bharat will continue his association with the CSK even if there is a change in guard. But the LION needs to roar better, rope in some cubs and win trophies, for the sequel of LEO to be as gripping as the current book. The revival of their halcyon days will be the best gift CSK can give Bharat Raman, their lifelong fan, like a million others across the Globe.