TN Opener KR Rajagopal passes away

Seven months after his ‘best friend’ N Sankar passed away and a day ahead of Sankar’s birthday, the TN batting legend breathed his last on Friday morning 

It was a tame end on Friday morning to one of Tamil Nadu’s greatest opening batsman, KR Rajagopal. Once swarmed by thousands of fans where ever he played, his final years were quite lonely. His health had taken a drastic downturn after the passing away of his wife and he had become almost unrecognizable from the  man who had cheerfully attended Jolly Rovers' 50 years event in Madras. In the last 18months, he missed people around him, especially his family members. A very close friend of his at India Cements Baradwaj (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/12/bharadwaj-k-jolly-rovers-india-cements.html) who was great mental support during the Pandemic times too passed away in December last year. The attender provided by his best friend in life Sanmar Group Chairman N Sanmar was a great relief for his presence meant he had someone to talk to when needed and also one who could take him to the hospital on multiple days in a week for dialysis.

At 3.30pm on Sunday April 17 this year, when this writer called KR Rajagopal to inform about the passing away of N Sankar, he was inconsolable. He was in tears throughout the call. In the months that passed since, in every phone call this writer had with him, he recalled the great contribution of Sankar to cricket and the motivation his presence served personally to him as a batsman (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/11/jolly-rovers-n-sankar-75.html).

Vijay Sankar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/05/vijay-sankar-jolly-rovers-takes-over.html), who continued the supported extended to KRR after the passing away of his appa, told this writer on Saturday morning that Rajagopal would call his appa every year on his birthday to wish him and the two of them would jointly recall the golden years of cricket from the late 1960s. With the passing away of Sankar this year, Rajagopal probably would have missed that morning call on November 19, the birthday of Sankar and passed away a day in advance, such was their great friendship!!!

The dashing wicket keeper bat could not stand the passing away of Sankar earlier this year and probably wanted to join the man, who transformed his life in the late 1960s, in heaven.

Rajagopal told this writer last year in a conversation at his home in Banashankari in Bangalore where he lived alone the ‘fanatic’ interest of KS Narayanan and N Sankar in promoting cricket and cricketers in Madras “As you know, Marina had a very small pavilion. Unmindful of that, both KSN and Sankar sat there next to the players and motivated us through the match. The top management presence was a big boost to us and we wanted to give it our best in front of them. When the crowd almost chased us in anger and began pelting stones, the two of them organised cars for all the players and ensured that each one of us were dropped home. It was just an amazing gesture. They were totally thrilled when we won the final beating a strong State Bank side.”

When Rajagopal moved to Madras in 1966, he set the city grounds ablaze with his dashing stroke play for Jolly Rovers and Tamil Nadu. 1967 was the year when N Sankar returned to Madras from the US and his presence at the ground had a big positive impact on Rajagopal. He was at his explosive best that season as he tore apart every single bowling attack that came his way. He began with two Ranji Trophy centuries and followed it up with a match winning fourth innings knock against Mysore against two top bowlers. Picked in the South Zone team for the Duleep Trophy, he struck two half centuries against Central Zone.  He was also included in the Rest of India team for the Irani Trophy match but politics led to his exclusion from India's tour to Australia that crushed his confidence.

Till the very end, this year, in telephonic conversations with this writer he recalled the greatness of Sankar and his unforgettable trips to Bangalore and Bombay “Sankar was so passionate about the game. Every time I struck a four and would see him in the stands, I would see a sparkle in his eyes. It was truly inspirational and spurred me further. It was unthinkable in the 1960s for a corporate chief to travel to  Bangalore and Bombay  to just watch me bat.”

A Delight to the Fans

Co-incidentally a six decades long devotee of Lord Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal, Dhaadi Chandrasekar, who worked in Foundry Chemicals at MNC Foseco India, only this week recalled to this writer at the Kapali temple as to how as a school boy he would rush to the Marina and Chepauk early in the morning to watch Rajagopal bat “He provided such happiness to me and thousands of fans with his fearless batting display. Big names did not bother him. If the ball was there to be hit, he would send it thudding into the fence sending the crowd into rapturous delight. What also still remains fresh in my memory is the way he kept to Kalyanasundaram removing the bails in a flash when the batsman just lifted his foot. He was a unique wicket keeper and unmatched in those times.”

He says that 55years after he came to Madras he remains 'my top most favourite cricketer and wicket keeper. I have not seen that wicket keeping ability even in Thalaiva Dhoni."

"Forever, I will cherish memories of his attacking batsmanship and wicket keeping."

"Raja Sir You will be in my heart for ever."

Felicitated in 2021 at Chepauk

Last month, the then Secretary of the TNCA RS Ramaswamy recalled  to this writer Rajagopal as a one of a kind batsman who he was inspirational to him during his school days at Salem. It was Ramaswamy as the Secretary who welcomed Rajagopal on August 10 last year when he was felicitated on the finals day of the TNPL. Former President of the TNCA who too had watched Rajagopal play in the late 1960s extended a big hug at Chepauk that evening in memory of the several memorable knocks at that ground. Rajagopal felt happy that evening meeting some of his old friends like SVS Mani ( https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/07/svs-mani-cricketer-selector-coach.html) and R Prabhakar as they cracked jokes and had a hearty laugh ahead of the event pulling each other's legs.

Cricketer P Mukund provides the lone hand

In the last 18 months of Rajagopal’s life, TN cricketer from the 1970s P Mukund was the one who provided the greatest support to him outside of the personal assistant provided by Sankar. Rajagopal often expressed to this writer his gratitude for Mukund for visiting him frequently at his home and spending his valuable personal time with him. "Mukund's presence has given me great confidence. We would discuss some of the old matches that would take my mind away from the physical suffering", Rajagopal told this writer in those phone calls.

Tore apart Surendranath in 1968

Out of all the great innings that he watched Rajagopal play, Sankar recalled to this writer with special fondness the treatment meted out to the Services great Surendranath in the semi-final played at Chepauk in the first week of February 1968 "Services' Surendranath was a former Test player who had performed well for India but to Raja names simply did not matter. When he came on to bowl with the new ball, Raja, much to Surendranath's shock, came down the pitch and belted him away. I still remember Surendranath standing in mid pitch and staring at Raja. It is unlikely anyone would have treated Surendranath the way Raja did that day."

The great delight that Rajagopal provided to teammates and fans alike during this playing days will remained etched in memory forever.