Sharing his passion for sports, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday walked down the memory lane and told a group of sportspersons that his love for cricket is an enduring one and that he was an off-spinner, having taken three crucial wickets in a tournament for the film world in Chennai years back.
“I had played gully cricket and even bowled for my father (late Dravidian patriarch and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi). I represented the Madras Christian College (MCC) School and the matches were played at the St Bede’s School in the city,” he reminisced during an interaction with a gathering of medal winners at the national and international level, titled ‘Vibe with Champions’. The chief minister shared the video on his ‘X’ handle, which had gone viral on the internet.
Champion-ஓட True Strength பதக்கங்கள்ல மட்டும் இல்ல, அவங்ககிட்ட இருக்குற Discipline, Pressure-ஐ handle பண்ணுற விதம், விடாமுயற்சி இது எல்லாத்துலயும்தான் இருக்கு!
தமிழ்நாடு முழுக்க இருந்து வந்திருந்த நம்ம Young Athletes-கூட பேசினப்போ, அவங்களோட Clarity-ஐயும் Confidence-ஐயும்… pic.x.com/3aDHnuW256
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) December 24, 2025
Expressing great admiration for the iconic Kapil Dev, to a question on his favourite cricketer, he said “He was the captain who first one a World Cup to India. From a humble background, Kapil had risen as a star of the cricketing world, bringing laurels to the country. He had led by example,” adding, “Gavaskar, Tendulkar and Dhoni are also my favourites.”
On his special liking for Dhoni, the chief minister, responding to another questioner, described the former India captain as a role model. “His coolness and calmness on the field and the smart way he carries his captaincy with a smile without tension is a rarity. Even though he is past his prime, fans yearn for him to play which is unthinkable,” he said. “It is difficult to be like him, though I do try to overcome tension. We can try but there can’t be a comparison,” he quipped in response to a question.
“At school, I played both cricket and hockey. I was initially in the school hockey team and I love the game. Later, I turned to cricket and was so addicted that my classmates during class hours used to play Book Cricket which you might be aware of… on opening a page if you get 6 or numbers ending with six, it is a sixer and if it is 4, then it is a four. If it is a zero, you are out,” Stalin recalled, adding, “Even now, when I come across children playing cricket on the roads, I used to play for a few deliveries.”
“I am an off-spinner and had taken three crucial wickets at the cricket tournament for the film world held in Chennai. Actor Silambarasan (who acted as Kamal Hassan’s son in Thug Life) was in the opposite team. I had taken the wickets including that of Nepolean (former Union Minister from the DMK),” he recounted.
To a question, he said he was committed to take Tamil Nadu to greater heights in the field of sports and appreciated the performance of his son and Deputy CM, holding the sports portfolio.