Former India and Tamil Nadu cricketer VB Chandrasekhar dies at 57

Former India and Tamil Nadu opener VB Chandrasekhar passed away in Chennai on Thursday. He was 57.

Chandrasekhar was a key member of the Tamil Nadu team that won the state’s second Ranji Trophy title in 1987-88. He is also fondly remembered for a sparkling 56-ball century in the Irani Trophy against Rest of India in 1988. Chandrasekhar’s first-class career spanned 11 seasons and 81 matches during which he scored 4999 runs at an average of 43.09.

For India, he played seven One-Day Internationals, finishing with a top score of 53.

“It’s an absolute shock for me,” former India opener K Srikkanth told the Hindu. “I cannot believe it. He was an outstanding attacking batsman. It’s unfortunate that he did not play for more for India.”

Chandrasekhar remained active after his playing career, serving stints as a national selector and manager with Chennai Super Kings in the early days of the franchise. He was also a commentator, most recently a regular in the Tamil broadcast of Star Sports.