This ex-cricketer is Chennai Super Kings’ ‘forever guest’: Meet the man who left cricket, chased love & became crorepati
Mahalingam Venkatesan's love journey led to a cricket ban in South Africa, ending his career. Now a millionaire and a Chennai Super Kings' guest, he reflects on his bold decision to chase love, which ultimately shaped his life.
Cricket in India isn’t just about matches and tournaments; it’s also about the love stories of its players – tales of passion, sacrifice, and sometimes heartbreak. Among these is the tale of Mahalingam Venkatesan, who risked his entire career to marry his girlfriend from South Africa.
Venkatesan, a prominent figure in India’s domestic cricket circuit during the late 1970s and 1980s, took a bold step by travelling to South Africa to be with his girlfriend. He defied the norms of the time and put his career on the line.
While the adventure was a success for his love life, it proved to be a massive disaster for his professional life, as Venkatesan faced a cricket ban in South Africa. Decades later, he is not playing cricket anymore, but is a millionaire and is a Chennai Super Kings' ‘guest forever’.
Travelling to South Africa and playing cricket for another country
At the time when Venkatesan decided to leave India and travel to South Africa for his girlfriend, he had a well-established career in cricket and a job with the State Bank of India.
“I met my wife Priscilla, who was a South African-Indian. She had come to India in 1983. But when she returned, I had to find a way to go and chase her to South Africa. Those days, travelling wasn't easy,” Venkatesan told Hindustan Times in an interview.
He somehow managed to travel to South Africa. Recalling his girlfriend's reaction after finding out he is in India, Venkatesan told HT, “'You're lying'. I went to her workplace and declared, ‘Look, I am here, all the way from India to meet you.’
While staying in South Africa, he wanted to return to cricket, so he joined a local team. After joining Mali, he featured in two league matches for the Pastorals in Durban's A-Division League, held in the Phoenix district. According to a Hindustan Times report, he started playing games in the name of Mahalingam Murali.
However, the news reached India, and he had to return to the country. He also faced a ban in South Africa.
End of cricket career
Venkatesan's cricket career in India ended after he suffered an injury and retired from professional cricket in 2000. Years later, he ventured into the restaurant business, earned well, and is a crorepati settled in South Africa.
Chennai Super King's guest
Sharing his connection with Chennai Super Kings, Mahalingam Venkatesan said that N Srinivasan and Kasi Viswanathan asked him to assist CSK when IPL came to South Africa in 2009.
Recalling Srinivasan's words, Mahalingam Venkatesan said, “Kasi, Mali will be our guest forever.” Since then, CSK has sponsored his trips with his wife all over India to enjoy CSK's matches. “Even last year, I was there. In SA20, they appointed me as the public officer for Joburg Super Kings,” HT quoted Venkatesan as saying.
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Business NewsSportsCricket NewsThis ex-cricketer is Chennai Super Kings’ ‘forever guest’: Meet the man who left cricket, chased love & became crorepati
First Published:11 Jan 2025, 11:57 AM IST
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