Cricket might have taken different formats – from Test cricket, the highest form of cricket to One-Day International, the limited 60 and 50 overs format and T20, the latest and most successful format of Cricket, but the love for cricket remained intact for former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, and his son and present Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Kalaignar’s love for cricket was well known. He would even skip or put off official engagement to watch a cricket match. He was a great admirer of Kapil Dev, Krishnamachari Srikkant and Sachin Tendulkar in the 1980s. After the T20 format created a new sensation in the sport, Kalaignar became an avid fan of MS Dhoni and his Chennai Super Kings (CSK). His love for CSK was such that he would not miss any CSK match in Chepauk. Mr Stalin too revealed his love for cricket and Dhoni, when India Cements, the Franchise of the CSK team, organized a function at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai recently to felicitate the team for winning the IPL 2021 Title. If Kalaiganar expressed his love for Dhoni, calling him ‘Tamizh Naattin Marumagan’ – the son-inlaw of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin called Dhoni as ‘Manja Tamizhan’, punning on the word ‘Pacha Tamizhan’ (true blood Tamil) for Dhoni sporting CSK’s yellow jersey, amid roar of applause. Offering his felicitations to the CSK team, Mr Stalin said “although Mr N Srinivasan (India Cements Ltd Managing Director who owned the CSK Franchise) invited me for the function as the Chief Minister, I came here as a fan of Dhoni. My father Kalaignar and family members are also his big fan. Dhoni may be from Jharkhand but he is the loveable boy of Tamil Nadu,” Mr Stalin said as the packed auditorium lustily cheered. Dhoni, the Captain cool was good at leading the team, especially during difficult times, he said and congratulated Dhoni and his men for lifting the IPL trophy for the fourth time (2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021). Mr. Srinivasan, in a conversation with Economic Times had said Kalaignar was a great lover of the game and greatest CSK fan. “Whenever CSK used to play here (Chennai), Kalaignar would come to watch the matches and he would get upset why CSK would lose. Kalaignar had a good understanding of cricket and regularly followed the game involving India, whether it is test cricket or other formats, he said....