Jolly time for Rovers

CHENNAI: Fifty-seven years ago to this month, on July 29, 1967, to be precise, VA Parthasarathy – VAP to all who knew him – met KS Narayanan, then a senior India Cements executive, to put forth a request. He wanted the businessman to sponsor a small cricket club, of which he was the secretary. Narayanan agreed to take the club under his wing.

Nearly six decades later, Jolly Rovers CC, then a neighbourhood club, has emerged as one of the most successful cricket clubs in the country.

Those were the days when making money out of cricket was arduous – if not impossible. But Narayanan and his son N Shankar got immediate dividends, as Jolly Rovers 1966-67 batch won the Raja of Palayampatti Shield, the prize given to the First Division team, in the very first year Sanmar Group began promoting the team.

It was the father-son duo who introduced the concept of fielding outstation players in the TNCA league back in 1960s. They roped in PK Dharmalingam and V Balaji Rao from Services, KR Rajagopal and Mir Najam Hussain from Karnataka, and KVR Murthy from Andhra Pradesh. So ahead of time they were that it took more than two decades for the idea to gain momentum among other teams.

Over the decades, a large number of Jolly Rovers players went on to don the India colours, a stellar lineup that includes the likes of VB Chandrasekar, L Sivaramakrishnan, Hemang Badani, Dinesh Karthik, L Balaji, S Badrinath, R Ashwin, and Murali Vijay among others.

“Will call you when I can afford you”

After Shankar took over as the managing director of Chemplast in 1977, the club came under Chemplast Sanmar from India Cements. There were waves of changes happening in the team and the management. While restructuring the team, Shankar wanted to bring in wicket-keeper Bharat Reddy, who was part of the national team that was touring England at that time.

Recalling his journey with the club, Reddy told DT Next how he received three offers in 1979, after the England tour - from Chemplast, State Bank and TVS. When he met Shankar, Reddy informed him about the State Bank offering him Rs 3,500. Shankar replied that he could not afford Reddy then, but promised that he would reach out when he could. “After three years, I got a call [from him] and from then till today, it's been a journey of 42 years with the club,” he said.

That decision to bring Reddy on board redefined the club, and he has remained an integral part of the club for decades and now heads the sports initiatives of the whole Sanmar Group. Other than winning about 70 trophies across formats, Reddy’s eye for talent has also helped develop some of the finest cricketers for the country.

Anything and everything for cricket

Recalling one of the memorable conversations with Shankar, Reddy said, “I remember one instance in the 90s where we were playing the finals but didn’t have about seven players – some of them due to injuries while others went to play some other tournaments. ‘We can’t play the finals without seven players,’ I told Shankar. But he replied, ‘You play good cricket; I don’t mind you losing’.”

That team went on to win the finals that year, that too against their arch-rivals, India Cements.

It is not just this mentality that the management extends to the players; it also provides facilities and exposure. They have done four-five tours to England, widely regarded as one of the greatest educations in a cricketer’s life. Providing such exposure from the initial stage helps players to groom themselves, Reddy emphasised.

“The culture of England, the English cricket and the way they understand the sport, the kind of respect they have for cricket, all these provided a learning curve for our cricketers… a lot of players like Balaji and Dinesh Karthik benefited from it and they went on to play for India.”

“I believe one of the main reasons for the success of the team is their passion for cricket. They will do anything and everything for the sport. Reddy sir is the one who takes care of the team, right from players to coaches. Obviously, the contributions of Vijay Shankar, the present chairman of Sanmar Group, and the late N Shankar are immense for Jolly Rovers team to be successful for this long,” said Baba Indrajith, the current skipper of the team.

The winning mentality

Jolly Rovers CC continues to script success stories through these 57 years in a demanding league, producing results and staying on top not only with the help of big stars but even with relatively unknown players.

In the last season of the TNCA First Division league, the team fielded a unit filled with talented local players. It was a rough start for them, as they only had one point in the first two games. But the team held on to its laurels and made a strong comeback to defeat a strong side like Vijay CC in the semi-finals. In the finals, they defeated Alwarpet CC by an innings and 14 runs to retain the Rajah of Palayampatti Shield, the club’s 23rd triumph of the TNCA league.

“It was a great feeling to win the shield. I know how much of a grind it is to complete a league season, especially playing in the scorching heat of Chennai. To be at your top game for such a long time is not easy. So I was very satisfied with the triumph this season and looking forward to continuing the same with the team,” said Indrajith.

And if the team manages to pull it off once again in the ongoing season, it will be a hat-trick of titles. “We’ve done it earlier in the past by winning five on the trot. So, it’s nothing new for us to win titles back-to-back,” said Reddy.

What is behind the name?

“When I asked him why he can’t change the name of the club to Chemplast, he said he wanted to retain the prestigious name ‘Jolly Rovers’, which has been in the cricketing circle for quite some time. That is what the club means to him and even more for his son [Vijay] who seems more enthusiastic than his father,” said Reddy.

When asked the history behind the club’s name, he said, “I can only presume that it must have been a jolly team back then and hence they decided to call it Jolly Rovers, but can’t say for sure.”

Jolly Rovers’s enduring bond with IIT ground

In the heart of Chennai lies a cricket ground that has become more than a venue for Jolly Rovers - it’s a cherished partner not only for the club or even TNCA, but also for Indian cricket. IIT-Chemplast Cricket Ground has been the home for Jolly Rovers since the pavilion was declared open back in 1998 by Aussie cricketer Neil Harvey.

Developed and maintained by Sanmar, the ground features world-class facilities for players to train and play.

Reddy reminisced how Shankar commented that while it was easy to start something, the real challenge lies in maintaining it. “It takes a lot of effort to maintain the ground, which we’ve done since the start. We’ve held many Indian camps and even recently Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team used the facilities for one of its practice sessions.”

Jolly Rovers have created many fond memories on the ground, winning many titles. Indrajith recalled his first encounter on the IIT ground, then as a member of the rival team, Indian Bank. “That was the first time I went to IIT and played against Jolly Rovers. They had players like S Badrinath and Dinesh Karthik, and playing against such big players was in itself a great feeling for me that time,” said Indrajith, in a conversation with DT Next.

‘Cupboard’ Runneth Over

TNCA League - 23

Hindu Trophy - 12

VAP Trophy- 9

Moin ud Dowla Trophy- 6

KSCA Trophy- 3

Buchi Babu Trophy- 3

Arlem Trophy- 2

YSCA Trophy- 2

BCCI Raj Singh Dungarpur Corporate Trophy- 1

Canara Bank Trophy- 1

CCFC Trophy- 1

Dunlop Trophy- 1

MCA Corporate Trophy- 1

Pasadena Trophy- 1

MCC Dynora Trophy- 1

Indian Bank Trophy- 1

Simpson Trophy- 1

Indian Express Trophy- 1

TOTAL – 70