Thread by @lk_karthik

(Thread)

A few years back, I had interviewed VB Chandrasekhar on what made him become a team owner in TNPL. Reading his reply now makes me numb. (1/n)

"As a commentator, I've been to many of these state association run Twenty20s. One of them was the KPL - I liked the way they conducted it. This actually has been a sort of dream and a liking for me and a passion because I have a cricket academy." (2/n)

"Initially I was doing a residential programme for 45 days with kids coming from all over the country. I was forced to stop that because of my association with CSK. Now I realised there is a similar opportunity here (TNPL) to go back looking out for such hidden talent" (3/n)

"It can come from anywhere - any corner of the state. It's happening now - I've started getting calls with people - 21 to 24 years old - asking. They would have not been allowed to play the sport maybe due to family pressure or education." (4/n)

"Once they become 21, they get a little freedom. They get two years to go out to do their things and achieve something. I remember that was the same with me, only thing was it was as late as 26. I missed out 4-5 years of my career doing engineering." (5/n)

"It was a time when most people are married already. In my case, I was in a family where everybody were abroad and I had done B.Sc Mathematics and I was getting jobs in banks and other areas. I was told to pack up and do my engineering when I was as 22." (6/n)

"It was only when I was 26 I realised - and I asked my dad 'can you give me a year?'. My dad said why, I said I want to get into the state team. After that, I asked for one more year to get into the Indian team. And it happened" (7/n)

"You can be a nobody to society. You can be a 11th standard dropout but you can also be an IPL star or an Indian star, you can always be given a doctorate later on by one of the universities. It's all possible now with sports, it wasn't possible then." (8/n)

"For a state like TN, where there is so much emphasis on education, we have instances of 21 year olds calling and asking me - I was attracted to that. These are guys who want to do something but haven't had the chance. Maybe the TNPL will give them that chance." (9/n)

"I ended up buying the team for the passion of finding those who might have missed out in life like I did.

If it makes business sense, I can tell you only after five years. " (10/n)

"Rahul Dravid asked me 'hey, what the hell have you done? What's happening to you VB?' I told him 'that's the same question you asked when I first picked up a piece of land for the residential programme, and you came to inaugurate it. I've done that again'." (11/n)

VB Chandrasekhar is a massive name in TN cricket. Long before I became reporter, I knew VB sir through VBCA, as a regular opponent in the Chennai cricket circuit.

Now, I'm reporting on his death. Speechless. RIP VB sir

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