This 92-year-old Mumbai woman is cricket’s biggest fan and loves Shubman Gill

As most nonagenarians slow down 92yearold Kalyani Raghavan is still attending Carnatic music concerts solving sudoku puzzles and passionately following cricket mdash so much so that her family recently upgraded to a 65inch television to make her IPL viewing experience betterRaghavan who turns 93 on June 11 has spent more than five decades teaching and performing Carnatic music and continues to sing at bhajans temple events and community concerts across Mumbai But it is her encyclopaedic knowledge of cricket and strong opinions on modern players that have recently made her something of a local celebrity among neighbours in ChunabhattiCricket enthusiast and Carnatic music veteran Kalyani Raghavan follows the IPL action from her home in Chunabhatti The 92yearold says cricket remains one of her greatest passions PicsAtul KambleTest cricket over IPLWhen asked if she prefers Test matches or the IPL Raghavan says she prefers the former ldquoThey tested the real skills of the player Cricket was dignified and truly a lsquogentlemanrsquos sportrsquordquo Well speaking of gentlemen the singer says one of the cricketers she finds best today is KL Rahul ldquoHersquos one of the good ones humble I canrsquot stand the aggression some of these new players show offhellip this Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya though good players just do too muchrdquoA life filled with musicRaghavan has been a Carnatic music teacher and performer for nearly 50 years and remains actively involved in Mumbairsquos South Indian cultural circuitBefore moving to Mumbai in 1969 she lived in Madras and worked as a radio jockeyReflecting on her life she saidldquoI canrsquot sit still Growing up my father never gave us time to sit around and gossip I was always running from hobby to hobby lecture to lecture I enjoyed my life I have absolutely no regretsrdquoThese days itrsquos her love for cricket that has everyone impressed Their neighbours have been telling Raghavan to start an Instagram page because of how passionate she isHer cricket journeyldquoWhen I started watching cricket in my 20s I used to watch Test cricketrdquo Living in a joint family Raghavan reminisces about the time her entire family of 25 would sit and intently listen to matches on one radio ldquoThe radio quality had to be good and we made sure of thatrdquoCricket memories she treasuresBecause her husband worked as an Income Tax Commissioner the family moved cities every few years One of her fondest memories is watching international cricket at Eden Gardens in KolkataWhat happens after the IPLFor Raghavan cricket is more than entertainment it is part of her daily routineldquoAfter the IPL ends I often worry about what I will do in my free time I will deeply miss itrdquo she saidIPL final predictionldquoWith Shubman Gill as the captain I want the Gujarat Titans to win the finals I detest RCBrdquoFavourite matchA match where she got to watch the three famous Ws of West Indies cricket mdash Sir Everton Weekes Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell Weekes and Walcott were part of the West Indies Test team in India in 194849Kalyani Raghavan at a glanceAge 93 on June 11Residence Chunabhatti SionLifelong passions Carnatic music Cricket SudokuFamilyrsquos latest gift A 65inch television to watch the IPLFavourite cricket format Test cricket