Jayalalithaa was a fan of Tiger Pataudi : Sharmila Tagore by Bipin Dani

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Player:	MAK Pataudi, NJ Contractor
Event:	England in India 2016/17

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DateLine: 6th December 2016

 

Mumbai, Dec. 6 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who passed away on Monday night, was a great fan of Mansur Ali Khan (MAK) Pataudi. This was revealed by Tiger Pataudi's wife and actress Sharmila Tagore.

 

Speaking exclusively over her mobile from Delhi, she said, "Jayalalithaa liked my husband's batting very much and I have also heard that in earlier years she used to go for the matches along with binoculars just to watch him play. She enjoyred Tiger's batting".

 

Sharmila Tagore had met Jayalalithaa on number of occasions. "I have met her several times in late sixties. Though I never met her with my husband. I met her with my sister when she was studying in Church Park school. I have not met her after she became the Chief Minister".

 

Pataudi was not the only player on Jayalaithaa's fan-list. Even she was also a fan of former captain Nari Contractor. "Though I have never met her personally but heard in one of her interviews that she used to come to watch me and Pataudi batting", Nari Contractor, 83, said exclusively.

 

Jayalalithaa liked all sports including cricket, according to the TNCA (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) secretary Kashi Vishwanathan.

 

"She was a regular visitor at the ground. She came to watch the World Cup match in 1996 but thereafter she came only 2-3 times".

 

The 5th Test match against England at Chennai is "most likely" to go ahead as per schedule (December 16-20)", he added.

 

"We have no plan to shift the Test match as of now. But our committee will decide on how the deceased and most popular leader of the State is remembered before the commencement of the Test", he added.

 

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2016 Bipin Dani)