VB Chandrasekhar: The Mentor Behind Legends and a Legacy Beyond Cricket

The Mastermind Behind Icons

Have you ever wondered how MS Dhoni was brought into the Chennai Super Kings ranks at the inaugural IPL auction? VB Chandrasekhar was more than a cricketer; he was a visionary who reshaped cricket for Tamil Nadu and India. This article delves into the life, impact, and legacy of VB Chandrasekhar, including the unforgettable moments I shared with him.

Early Life in Chennai

VB Chandrasekhar was born on 21^st of August 1961 in Chennai. His father, a prominent lawyer, instilled in him values of hard work and resilience. VB attended St. Bede’s School, known for producing a galaxy of talents, from cricket legends to movie stars. Interestingly, Kris Srikanth, a future opening partner, was two years junior to VB at St. Bede’s. VB also shared school with the humorous TV presenter Bhaskar, known as Bosskey, a former cricketing star turned cinema actor cum TV presenter.(St Bedes along with a couple of schools in Chennai has been producing cricketers consistently, parents shift to these schools citing relaxed norms and encouragement for sporting students along with balanced education)

 Budding Passion for Cricket

VB sir's passion for cricket was clear from a young age. At 15 he developed a deep passion for the game, started training intensely, even batting for hours at the nets at his home on D’Silva Road.   An avid fan of famed Bollywood singer Mohammed Rafi, VB sir once missed out on seeing Rafi live at the Music Academy when his brother attended the concert instead—just a small glimpse into his love for music, which complemented his love for cricket. VB sir had in fact visited Rafi’s relatives in Mumbai and paid tribute to his legacy more than half a decade ago. 

The Coimbatore Years and University Cricket

After high school, VB moved to Coimbatore to pursue Mechanical Engineering at the famed Coimbatore Institute of Technology which came under the Bharathiar University. Here, he played for the SVPB team (Sri Venkateswara Paper Board) in the Coimbatore I Division. VB sir was a integral part of SVPB initial rise into Coimbatore’s cricketing foray which was then comprised mainly of teams from the city, whilst SVPB was from a small village-town called Udumalaipet. Here, VB played along future TN teammates like former U-19 Indian captain Senthilnathan Mylvahanan and left-handed Pollachi batsman UR Radhakrishnan. Notably, VB led the Bharathiar University team throughout his college years, achieving success in both at  the Rohinton Baria and Vizzy Trophies.

Ranji Debut and the 1987-88 Trophy Win

After graduation, VB sir faced a dilemma(common to all South Asian Kids)—start a conventional career or follow his passion for cricket. His father was very reluctant in pursuing his cricketing career, but VB sir had persuaded him to give 2 more years, from within he could make a decision. By age 25, he made his Ranji Trophy debut against Hyderabad in Secunderabad, scoring a brilliant 81 in the first innings. The season proved vital for him and he amassed runs in the following matches against Kerala and Goa. The following season, he helped Tamil Nadu secure their second Ranji Trophy title, with a stellar performance from VBC and teammates like M Venkataramana and S Vasudevan. He emerged as one of the top scorers from the Tamil Nadu side and was in contention for a place in the national side.

Record-Breaking Century and International Debut

It is the Irani Trophy innings that made him knock the doors. VB sir got a duck in the first innings and Tamilnadu were expected to follow on but the ROI Captain, Madan Lal was told to play on since selectors   wanted to see some of ROI batsman play potentially checking their capabilities for the upcoming New Zealand tour and the West Indies tour thereafter.
In the second innings, VB Chandrasekhar made history by scoring the fastest first-class century by an Indian, blasting a century off just 56 balls with eight sixes and 11 fours —a record that held for nearly three decades. It is worth mentioning here that Rishab Pant broke this record in the 2016-17 Ranji season playing for Delhi. This extraordinary performance that led TN’s win in the Irani Trophy(chasing a improbable target of 357) led to his ODI debut against New Zealand in 1988. In his debut ODI in Visakhapatnam, under captain Dilip Vengsarkar, India won the toss and elected to bowl, eventually restricting New Zealand to 196. VB opened alongside his Tamil Nadu teammate Kris Srikkanth but was dismissed after scoring 10 runs. However, in the third ODI, he made a significant contribution with a well-compiled 52, his first and only international half-century. Despite this performance, he was subsequently overlooked from the squad for the West Indies series.

Consistent Performances in Domestic Cricket
VB Chandrasekhar’s resilience and consistency continued to shine through in domestic cricket. His performances for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy helped the team reach the semifinals, with back-to-back centuries in the Duleep Trophy, and a fighting 119 against Western Australia in the Kallis-Kemplast Trophy. These achievements earned him a spot in the squad for the New Zealand tour, including a tri-series with Australia. Despite his strong performances in the tour games, where he scored 92, 3, 71, 3, 17, and 18 runs—averaging close to 40 over six matches—VB Chandrasekhar was disappointed to find himself overlooked for the Test squad. This selection snub echoed a familiar trend often faced by Tamil Nadu cricketers, who historically encountered challenges in securing places on the national team. Players like Sadagopan Ramesh, S. Sriram, and M Venkataramana similarly faced limited opportunities despite their consistent domestic performances.. VB’s final international appearance came in the tri-series, where two single-digit scores marked the end of his international career.

Journey with Goa Cricket Team

VB Chandrasekhar continued his domestic career with Tamil Nadu until the 1994-95 Ranji season. Afterward, he transitioned to Goa, taking on the role of captain and player. Notably, he brought along teammates like M Senthilnathan and DJ Gokulakrishnan.

He made his debut for Goa against Kerala at the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Ground in Panaji, where he delivered an exceptional performance, scoring his highest first-class score of 237 runs, including 17 fours and 2 sixes. In that match, he achieved the rare feat of "carrying his bat," meaning he opened the innings and remained unbeaten until the last wicket fell. Chandrasekhar continued playing for Goa until the 1998 season before retiring from professional cricket, although he remained active in Chennai’s league cricket scene for a few more years.

Contributions as a Selector and Coach

In the early 2000s, VB Chandrasekhar served as a state selector for Tamil Nadu, where his insightful leadership led to notable achievements. Under his selection, Tamil Nadu reached the Ranji Trophy finals in two consecutive seasons, 2002 and 2003. Chandrasekhar made a bold decision by appointing Sweety Suresh, a relatively lesser-known leader, as captain of the Tamil Nadu team—a choice that proved highly effective, guiding Tamil Nadu to the finals both years.

Beyond his contributions at the state level, VB Chandrasekhar was appointed as a national selector for the Indian cricket team around 2004, during the tenure of Greg Chappell as head coach. His eye for talent and deep understanding of the game were instrumental during this period of Indian cricket. Under his tenure ship players like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Laxmipathy Balaji made their appearances for the Indian cricket team. Retiring from his playing career, he also worked as a part-time commentator with Star Sports, One Cricket to name a few. . Additionally, he bought a franchise in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), naming it the VB Thiruvallur Veerans.

The Architect of Chennai Super Kings

In 2008, as the inaugural IPL season was set to take place, VB Chandrasekhar was entrusted by N Srinivasan to take on the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and manager for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise. One of his standout contributions was his exceptional talent in picking up key players, both international stars and local talents, to form a well-rounded squad. (Most of them turned up as stars after getting picked by the franchise)

He was the mastermind behind CSK's initial roster, bringing in top international players like Makhaya Ntini, Muttiah Muralitharan, Matthew Hayden, and local stars such as Subramaniam Badrinath, Ravichandran Ashwin, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Anirudha Srikkanth, Lakshmipathy Balaji, and Abhinav Mukund. He also played a pivotal role in acquiring key Indian players, including Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Joginder Sharma, and most importantly, MS Dhoni, who was bought for a then-record price of $1.5 million.

The story behind MS Dhoni's inclusion in the CSK team is particularly interesting. N Srinivasan, then president of the BCCI and owner of India Cements, initially wanted to select Virender Sehwag as the Indian marquee player for CSK. However, VB Sir, who had previously been instrumental in selecting Dhoni for the Indian team, insisted on going with Dhoni instead. This decision proved to be one of the most significant in IPL history, as Dhoni became not only the captain of CSK but also a key factor in the franchise’s sustained success over the years. (Dhoni is still an integral part of Chennai Super Kings)

This initial team-building phase, laid the foundation for Chennai Super Kings' enduring legacy.

VB Cricket Academy and “The Nest”


In 1997, VB Chandrasekhar founded the VB Cricket Academy, a venture that would play a crucial role in shaping the future of cricket in Chennai. The academy was inaugurated by Bobby Simpson and initially began its journey at the Vivekananda College grounds in Mylapore. After less than a year, the academy moved to Guru Nanak College, also in Mylapore, where it continued to develop young cricketers.

In 2001, VB Chandrasekhar took a significant step by starting a residential cricket program called "The Nest," which offered budding cricketers an exclusive opportunity to participate in an in-house training program. This initiative was inaugurated by Indian test cricketer Rahul Dravid and became a rare facility for young players to experience focused, residential training.

The VB Cricket Academy was ahead of its time in many ways. Notably, it was one of the first academies in the region to possess floodlights, a feature that set it apart from others and allowed players to practice even after daylight hours. These floodlights were inaugurated by legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan, further elevating the academy's prestige.

Additionally, the academy introduced a Bola bowling machine in the early 2000s, well before it became a mainstream tool in cricket training. The Bola machine was an innovative addition, helping cricketers develop their skills in a controlled and repetitive manner. This writer, having spent countless hours training with the Bola machine at both Guru Nanak Complex and the Mylapore Club facility, can personally attest to the value it added to the training experience.

My Journey with VB Chandrasekhar

I first met VB sir in late 2010 or early 2011. Since I was too young to comprehend “who was who,” I called him “White sir” initially due to his comparatively fair complexion. A few months later, I realized who VB sir truly was and got to know more about him. He was impressed by my passion for the game and affectionately started calling me “Yuvi” (after Yuvraj Singh, whom I idolized at a younger age, and others, including him, thought I played like Singh).

VB sir had a special, affectionate liking towards me. He became a father-like figure, someone I could always look up to. I felt incredibly special as VB sir would feed me balls almost every Friday after the regular sessions when the others had finished. It’s still nostalgic for me to think about how VB sir would provide me with special drills, drills that no one else in the academy received, like giving me up to 50 high catches in one go.

I still remember the days when I would walk with him on the Mylapore streets on my way to the academy. One of the most interesting events I shared with him was when he had just bought a franchise under the TNPL. He had to give a name to the franchise, and initially, he wanted to name it after Kanchipuram, his hometown. However, it was taken by another franchise, as the name selection was based on a bidding process where the highest bidders had the first preference. Interestingly, he asked me to pick a good name for his franchise. I was first intrigued and gave some general names, like Fighters or Lions, but he asked me to come up with a Tamil name. I suggested a few names, and finally, he chose the name “Veerans” for his team.

VB sir always had immense faith in my bowling and was fascinated by the way I played. He would often say that I had a natural flair for batting, and that bowling leg spin came naturally to me, giving me an added advantage. A few years ago, at a reputed hotel in the city where he was staying, he introduced me as a future Indian cricketer to the hotel staff and to those accompanying him.

VB sir was a kind-hearted person, deeply affectionate with children. He loved the company of me and my younger sister, even though she didn’t play cricket at all. Apart from the valuable cricketing lessons, I learned from VB sir how to be a disciplined person, carrying with me the qualities of courage and “Gethu.

A Final Tribute

VB Chandrasekhar taught me more than cricket; he taught me courage, discipline, and the value of humility. A devoted follower of Shri Hanuman, he led by example, inspiring me to embody those same principles. His presence, guidance, and unwavering support shaped who I am today, and his legacy will forever hold a place in my heart.