Kedarnath S Opener from the 1970s

In great form in 1977, he believed he was on the verge of a Ranji Debut until the Selector broke his heart with an open declaration

After watching him bat, I was confident he was State material as he was technically very sound and invited him to come to Bangalore so he could play for Karnataka in the Ranji but he could not make it. It is a pity he did not play Ranji Cricket - Batting Legend Gundappa Viswanath

A Dominating Opener, there was a Lazy Elegance to his Batting - Abdul Jabbar, his teammate of a decade at SBI

40years as PSBB Coach, 300 kids/25 coaches at his two decades old cricket academy, 5years promoting music artistes and a joyous Mimic of old cricketers

In 1977, a young batsman came back to the pavilion to rapturous applause after almost scoring a century in a city vs districts match at the beginning of the season only to be greeted by a selector with a ‘you will not play for the state till I am here’. He was almost in tears when he came back that evening to his palacious home on Nair Road in T. Nagar, Madras only to be told by his father too that he would not be selected till that man was on the selection panel. Later that year, he scored a big century at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in front of the legendary GR Viswanath, who immediately asked him to take a transfer and move to Bangalore so he could play for Karnataka. His father asked him to stay put in Madras and there ended this man’s Ranji hopes. He went on to score over 30 Centuries for SBI and has over the last two decades been running a cricket academy where there are now a whopping 300 kids and 25coaches!!! Here’s the story of an opener for whom State Cricket remained elusive. 

Another one from YSCA’s Guru Team

Like for many T Nagar based cricketers from the 1960s and 70s, cricket began for S Kedarnath at the Somasundaram Ground with YSCA Gurumurthy (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/11/ms-gurumurthy-ysca-somasundaram-ground.html) playing tennis ball cricket at the West end of the ground alongside his school mate TA Sekar. It was playing the five day test cricket at that ground did Kedarnath build a strong technique especially facing the fiery tennis ball bouncers of Sekar. Alongside practicing and playing matches at the Somasundaram ground, he was also initiated into Mirudangam under the mentorship of Acharya T. H (Vikku) Vinayakaram. For a decade, cricket and music went side by side. Kedarnath also played a bit of tennis at School. Hi

His father, who was a pretty good tennis player in his younger days, worked at the Railways, initially with the Eastern Railway and later at ICF in North Madras. His elder brother S Badrinath too was a good opening bowler at school and college. 

SBI's Chandru provides him the league break

When Kedar was 13years old, R Chandrasekaran of SBI (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/09/r-chandrasekaran-sbi-globe-trotter.html) who has run many league teams in the city over the last five decades, roped in Kedar for BRC, a team managed by him at that time. Kedar recalls his debut league match “We were shot out for 30 or so at the AM Jain Ground against Globe CC and I ended up top scoring with 13 not out. It was an amazing experience to top score in league at that age!!!”

                                                      SBI's Chandru

“In that early phase, I was moulded by TS Viswanathan (Services) and R Chandrasekaran. It was at BRC that I became an opening bat and began to score runs consistently. After my consistent performances, it was Chandru who suggested to me that I should play higher division”

Create the Next Gen Mathematicians

And thus he joined his brother at Friends XI in the second division league. Strong performances in the league earned him a place in the TN Colts team, the first big recognition of his cricketing abilities.  From a very young age, he had a liking for Mathematics and his ambition was to become a Maths lecturer and develop the next set of ‘Mathematicians’!!! It was with this aim that he joined B. Sc Maths at AM Jain College, where his longtime RKM school mate TA Sekar too became his college and cricket teammate. 

A Devotional and God fearing Person

Once India’s fastest bowler, Sekar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2013/08/ta-sekar-fastest-indian-bowler-of-1980s.html) recalls Kedar from those early years “He was from a family of traditionalists. Kedar always sported the sacred white ash and the Kumkum on his forehead. He was the ‘credible’ boy for our family. Whenever I said I was going to Kedar’s house, my parents would immediately agree for they believed I was in safe hands at their home. We practiced many hours at his spacious independent house. I would change into whites at his home and go for matches from there.”

Kedarnath did not play for TN schools or any other schools based representative cricket and his years at school were sandwiched between the cricket bat and the Mirudangam. And of course temples! He was a highly devoted boy and with the sacred ash on his forehead would often visit the Vaduvudai Amman temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/04/thyagaraja-temple-thiruvotriyur.html) in Thiruvotriyur and the Kapaleeswarar temple (Kapali Jayakanthan Shivachariar) in Mylapore. He was also a regular at Vaitheeswaran Koil, Srirangam and Tirupathi, something he has continued right into his 60s.

One of the Best Onside batsmen

‘Jillu’ B Ramesh, who played for Jolly Rovers/ Chemplast for 15years, was Kedarnath’s team mate at AM Jain College and also played with him at Friends XI in the TNCA league. He remembers how he secured the opening slot in the college team “Kedar was a devoted guy even as a young boy and was a regular at Tirupathi. When he was on one such temple trip, I opened in his place for the college and scored a big knock that  landed him at No. 3 in the subsequent matches!!!”

“Even in those years, he was one of the best onside players. He had good eyesight and a solid technique. During the college years, he seemed to have more time than most others and it was difficult to ‘remove’ him. He was a classy player and had the makings of playing for a long time for the state.” 

A Terrible Sight- Sekar hits his childhood mate

Sekar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2013/08/ta-sekar-architect-behind-worlds-best.html) recalls the city college selection trial when he hit Kedar on the forehead with a bouncer “I hit quite a few batsmen in the country with bouncers but this would count as one of the worst. Blood oozed out of his face and the entire shirt and pant had turned RED. When I went home that evening to take a look at him, his forehead was swollen big. It was a scary sight. His mother who had known me from my RKM school days asked me ‘Enna da panneeta’ that left me quite embarrassed.”

Central Zone leg spinner, who continues to play league cricket in Madras aged 65, S Madhavan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/11/rbi-madhavan-leg-spinner.html) was at the other end when Sekar's bouncer knocked over Kedar "It was a terrible sight and he was out of action for a while. But when he came back, I remember he hooked Sekar with the same confidence that he had before the injury. Such was his class."

Viveka Performances catches SBI man’s eye

Bombay and TN Ranji batsman S Srinivasan, a resident of Gopalakrishna Road - a few hundred yards away from Kedar’s house - too was a team mate of Kedarnath at the Somasundaram ground. It was he who lured Kedar to Post Graduation in Maths at the Vivekananda college, a decision that resulted in him getting a high profile job at SBI thus putting an end to his Mathematical dreams “Kedar was a free flowing batsman. The ground strokes he played in Tennis kind of helped him in his early free flowing stroke play in cricket. We had forged many partnerships in the ‘test matches’ at Somasundaram ground. When he graduated, I lured him into joining Vivekananda College for I believed that with him at the top of the order, our batting would be strengthened significantly. He was also a brilliant slip fielder and would pluck unbelievable catches. The ball never seemed to pass him, such was his alertness at slip. His presence at the college was a huge boost to the whole side and his contribution was invaluable as the college swept the titles that year." 

Kedarnath thought he would be able to further his interest in Mathematics and agreed to join but his cricket performances that year in 1976 meant that he was to go away from Maths forever. He was also to captain Friends XI to league promotion.

The Delightful flick of the wrist

Speaking from the US, IOB’s M Sundar, who opened with Kedar on a few occasions and played against him many times in the 70s and 80s says that he was one of the finest technically, well equipped and a compact opening batsman. “His strokes were sheer timing & finesse. One stroke that stood out always in his repertoire was the flick of his waist which was a delight to the eyes especially when I was at the other end. Against a formidable Madras University team, we put together a century partnership and won the Ramadurai Trophy match despite being clear underdogs.

Following Kedarnath's performances for the Vivekananda College, it was SBI’s Chandrasekaran, who had given him the first break in the TNCA league end of the previous decade, once again who recommended his name at the bank as a long term cricketing prospect for the Bank. For 15years, Kedar’s academic proficiency was in Mathematics and his mind was clear on wanting to become a Math lecturer. But his appa asked him to forget his dream of becoming a lecturer, for securing a job at SBI was considered high profile in those days for a middle class household and he obeyed his appa’s instructions and joined the Main Branch in 1977 after discontinuing his post graduation after the first year. In his very first match for SBI, he scored a half century against Indian Bank at RKM ground in an YSCA Trophy match.

A Dominating Opener

TN mainstay of the 1970s Abdul Jabbar played for ten years with Kedarnath at SBI. Talking to this writer from Hyderabad, he recalls Kedar's approach to batting “He was a natural opener who liked to dominate the bowlers from the word 'Go'.  He played many a good knock in his career but the two that stand out for me were the ones against Rusi Modi XI in the Buchi Babu tournament & against Chemplast in the finals of The Hindu trophy when we were chasing a big target. He was a very wristy player and there was a lazy elegance to his batting. Even his short innings of 20’s & 30’s was a treat to watch.”

A memorable knock but a Cruel Message

Over that 12 month period in 1976-77, he seemed to be in prime form. After strong performances for Vivekananda College, he scored over 200runs in three matches including a knock of 88 against Mafatlal at Chepauk and the knock of 86 referred above by Jabbar against Rusi Modi XI at MCC College at the start of the new season in 1977 in the Buchi Babu tournament. Despite being in the form of his life, what is strongly etched in Kedarnath memory is  that tearful evening in 1977 after what he thought was a memorable innings “In the city vs districts match, I scored 96 under the captaincy of Krishnaswamy. It gave me a lot of satisfaction and I thought I may have done enough to get into the state team. The huge crowd that watched the match shouted out with confidence that I would be in the Ranji team that year.”

Even as he came back into the pavilion to the thunderous applause of the crowd and of his teammates, he was brought down to earth when a voice ( that of the Chief Selector) struck a cruel message right on his face ‘You will not play for TN till I am there’.”

The young man was almost in tears at this shocking statement and came home that evening to narrate the story to his father. Upon knowing who the selector was his father too endorsed that thought, much to the youngster’s shock. There had been a professional incident at Railways earlier involving the selector with Kedar’s father being the investigating assistant and it was unlikely that he was going to forget that!!!

Kedarnath recalls S Venkataraghavan (Venkat@75) wishing him well at the Taj Connemara (Venkat was to tour Australia and missed the Ranji season) ahead of the Ranji season and asking him to bat well in the Ranji matches. But that Ranji call remained elusive.

An impressed GRV calls him to Bangalore

This phase coincided with him joining SBI. Putting behind the cricket disappointment, he began to focus on his ‘first job’. That same year, he had the best experience of his life one that he says is unforgettable. SBI’s CGM Ramananda Rao wanted to watch a battle between two legends VV Kumar and GR Viswanath and organised a Bangalore v Madras bank match at the KSCA. Kedarnath scored 178 in a chase of over 400 against SBI Bangalore. 

A Top of the World Feeling

The batting legend was so impressed with Kedar’s back foot play and his technique as an opener that when he heard of TN’s rejection he asked Kedar to take a transfer to Bangalore so he could play for Karnataka next year as they were looking for an opener. It was a gesture that delighted the young Kedarnath. He was on top of the world as any youngster would be. He came home and announced with great delight to his father this invitation from India’s legend. Once again much to his disappointment, his father asked him to stay put in Madras and to play first division cricket for SBI in this city. The pronouncement put paid to Kedarnath’s Ranji dreams. It crushed his enthusiasm but Kedar has no regrets of his appa’s decision “He was from a traditional family and cared a lot for me. He did not believe in sending me alone to Bangalore at a young age for the sake of cricket. As a dutiful son, I had no answer and followed his directions. In those years, you did not protest against father’s decisions.”  

In any case, it was no straightforward task to get a full time transfer at SBI having been recruited for the Madras branch and to play first division cricket and other tournaments in Madras. Well over a decade earlier, when R Chandrasekaran was asked by Kerala to take a transfer to that state so he could play Ranji cricket there, the bank refused a full time transfer. 

He would have done well for Karnataka in Ranji

On a day when he lost his close friend and team mate of many years B Vijayakrishna, batting legend Gundappa Viswanath told this writer in a long conversation from his home in JP Nagar, Bangalore that Kedarnath was a technically sound batsman and felt that he should have played for Tamil Nadu. “After I watched him play for SBI, I wondered as to how such a player was not picked by TN. He had a frustrated feeling that he was not being picked despite running good scores in the first division league in Madras and also in other top tournaments. I found him to be special when he played in SBI's matches. That is when I asked him to come to Bangalore and play in the first division here after registering himself in the league. I was confident he would do well in the league and that we would be able to pick him for the Karnataka team in the Ranji Trophy. Unfortunately, he could not make it to Bangalore.”

“We played a lot of cricket together for a strong All India State Bank and shared many good partnerships. If he could be part of that SBI team that comprised the who's who of Indian cricket and scored runs in that team, he should have definitely played Ranji cricket for TN and it is a pity he did not.”

"Like KR Rajagopal (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/03/kr-rajagopal-dashing-opener-brilliant.html) who was very unlucky not to have been picked for India and gone on that Australia trip in 1967-68, Kedarnath was unlucky not to have been picked for TN in the late 1970s and played Ranji Trophy cricket" says Viswanath, with a tinge of sadness.

He put the bad balls away

Kedar joined VV Kumar at SBI in the year that saw the exit of the legendary leg spinner from TN cricket. VV Kumar (Spin Legend) him as a technically sound opener with a lot of patience and the ability to put away the wayward deliveries.

Coimbatore's PR Ramakrishnan, who himself was on the verge of a Ranji Debut earlier in the decade, is of the view that while Kedar was a good batsman, "it was a challenging task for him to break past the three openers who had established themselves through the decade for TN. By the end of the decade, K Srikkanth too came into prominence."

NP Madhavan too had come to stake a claim in the TN Squad towards the late 1970s having emerged as a star player from the Chengalpet District. Madhavan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/05/np-madhavan.html)who made his Ranji debut as an opener in 1980 recalls Kedar being a stylish batsman who he says was unfortunate not to have debuted for TN in that phase when he too was aspiring to be a TN opener.

Former India Wicket Keeper Bharath Reddy captained SBI towards the end of the decade. Talking from the US, he said 'Kedar was just a notch below Kicha, Shiv and Ramesh'.

It is well over four decades since the time he thought he was on the verge of a Ranji Debut. Kedarnath looks back at that year and says that he was frustrated at not being given a look-in in that phase – at least 1-2 matches in Ranji for him to prove his mettle at the state level. “I was in the best form of my life in 77/78 and not being able to get at least a couple of opportunities at the state level to showcase my credentials remains my biggest disappointment in cricket. But of course, my appa convinced me that I would not get in.”

Sekar says that Kedar was unlucky not to have played for the state “He was very stylish for a right hander. At that time, there were three others as openers and he should count himself unlucky. Though he scored a lot of runs at college and in the first division on matting wickets against top bowlers in a very competitive first division league, that first break for TN remained elusive and he just could not make his debut.”

Srinivasan says that once he met and played alongside GRV, Kedar had become a huge fan of the legend. For him to have gained the confidence and admiration of GRV is a huge achievement and a great feeling. “Unfortunately, for him, the opening slot in TN was not open at the right time. If he had got one opportunity, he may have tried to prove that he belonged to this stage but he just did not get it.”

After 77/78, Kedarnath never really came back into contention for TN with younger players Srikkanth, NP Madhavan and CS Suresh Kumar coming into the fray. Like R Madhavan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/10/r-madhavan-tn-cricketer-1980s.html) who after the dejection of not being included in the Indian team in 1984-85 despite running up big scores did not reach that level again in Ranji cricket, Kedarnath resigned himself to the fact that he would not play again and settled down quietly at SBI. He continued to play for the bank in the first division in Madras. His cherished memories are of playing with his mentor for All India State Bank “It was difficult at that moment but I consoled myself quite quickly and moved on to give my best for SBI and enjoying the moments with my Guru Vishy. I always look back at my cricketing days to remind myself as to how blessed I was that I could watch him bat from the other end.”

Launch of Kedaram

In 2016, he launched ‘Kedaram’, an academy to promote musical talent by providing them opportunities and a platform to perform. S Madhavan who too played cricket alongside Kedar at the Somasundaram ground in T Nagar and for Friends XI in the second division shares common musical interest with him “He was a very good mirudangam player though he did not pursue his interest in that field. However, it was that passion that led him to launch Kedaram and promote artistes providing them with opportunities to perform. Every time I am at his academy, he would always ask me to sing and our discussions would center around Raagams."

Never a wrong word about another player

Sekar says that Kedar has always remained a very nice fellow. “I sometimes felt he was too nice to be a cricketer. He had a terrific sense of humour, was always a good team man, a god fearing person, did not fight with anyone despite the frustrations he went through at that time. At the end of a day’s play, his mimicking of other teammates especially of Chandru and VV Kumar gave all of us great joy.”

Not a Dull Moment with Kedar around

Jabbar echoes Sekar’s sentiments “Kedar was a very easy going person and was never taken seriously by anyone not even when he mimicked on the face of the player. He is blessed with a rare talent to mimicking. With him around in the dressing room, there was not a dull moment, not even when we lost a match. He had that special capacity to wittily transform those moments.”

Has given me so much joy through his mimicries

While he may not have earned the recognition he should have on the field at the state level, the best of his off field action was certainly recognised and acknowledged by teammates. Viswanath wonders as to how Kedar pulled this off and continues to do so "I do not know how he does that but in a flash he would change from one voice to another and do that so beautifully. It is always lovely to hear his mimicry. Whenever I feel bored, I call him over the phone and ask him to mimic the old players from the 1970s. And he would immediately take me to a world of joy. He has been blessed with the ability to provide happiness to others through his mimicries."

"Having known him for over four decades, I have always found him to be a nice human being and a very God fearing person" says Vishy. He is also happy that Kedar has been running a cricket academy for two decades. 

He may not have played Ranji Trophy  for TN or Karnataka but Kedarnath is proud to have scored over 30 centuries for SBI including 28 in the first division league. In the week of his wedding, he says he came back from Trichy and scored 186 NO in the first division league. Another innings that instantly comes to his thoughts is the match in the MCC Dyanora Trophy, when aged well past 30, he scored 90 against a strong MRF attack comprising of  Sekar, Zaidi and Razdan and chased 290. He recalls a young Sachin Tendulkar who was then on the verge of his making his India debut coming to him and saying that it was the best back foot knock he had seen. Touching 35, he scored a century against K Arun Kumar  and Niranjan Kumar at their fastest on a green top at SPIC. 

One of the Pillars of SBI Cricket

Abdul Jabbar puts Kedar's contributions for SBI in perspective “He was one of the main contributors in SBI’s success during my time. Both of us knew the importance of our wickets to the team's cause. He was a superb timer of the ball and it was always pleasing to watch him bat. I enjoyed batting with him during those ten years. ”

In 2001, he quit SBI and started a coaching academy in T Nagar. While he has now run it for two decades, one does wonder as to how a cricket academy can manage 300 kids at one point of time -  25 coaches at his academy is his answer!!!! 

In important phases in his life, things went against him. Over four decades later, he is truly happy that God has given him lot more than what he may have wanted though he does miss not playing Ranji cricket. He has coached the PSBB School for close to four decades, run a cricket academy for two decades and an academy for budding music artistes now for five years. In his cricketing life, he considers it an honour to have played alongside the greats of Indian cricket for the All India SBI side and particularly savours his relationship with legend and his mentor ‘Vishy’. 

Just before his father’s death in 1988, he expressed his regret at his disapproval in 1977 “He told me with a great deal of sadness that he should have allowed me to go to Bangalore to pursue my Ranji ambition”, Kedar remembers of being by his father's bedside.

An astrologer once told Kedar that he was destined to climb 99steps of the ladder with ease but would always stay one step away (remember that snake at 99 in Paramapadam where one comes tumbling down!!!) and he has for long accepted that as part of his life. 

Even as the Pandemic has kept most of the cricketers, current and former, indoors, he received a call recently from his ‘Guru’ Vishy asking him to mimic the cricketers of yesteryears especially VV Kumar. He looks back at his life and wonders as to what more could he have asked for from God than receiving such a request from the batting legend and giving him delight with his voice four decades after GRV had asked him to join him in Bangalore!! He could not accept that invitation in 1977 but this one in 2021, he surely did and sent him a recording mimicking several of the former players that sent Vishy into joyous laughter at his home in Bangalore.