Meet Mumbai’s 92-year-old cricket superfan who has followed the game for 70 years

Kalyani Raghavan, who turns 93 on June 11, watches her favourite —Shubhman Gill — in an IPL match on the 65-inch television her family recently bought so she can enjoy cricket more comfortably at her Chunabhatti home. Pic/Atul Kamble

As most nonagenarians slow down, 92-year-old Kalyani Raghavan is still attending Carnatic music concerts, solving sudoku puzzles, and passionately following cricket - so much so that her family recently upgraded to a 65-inch television to make her IPL viewing experience better.

Raghavan, 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 Chunabhatti.

Cricket enthusiast and Carnatic music veteran Kalyani Raghavan follows the IPL action from her home in Chunabhatti. The 92-year-old says cricket remains one of her greatest passions. Pics/Atul Kamble

Test cricket over IPL

When asked if she prefers Test matches or the IPL, Raghavan says she prefers the former. "They tested the real skills of the player. Cricket was dignified and truly a ‘gentleman's sport'." Well, speaking of gentlemen, the singer says one of the cricketers she finds best today is KL Rahul. "He's one of the good ones, humble. I can't stand the aggression some of these new players show off… this Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, though good players, just do too much."

A life filled with music

Raghavan has been a Carnatic music teacher and performer for nearly 50 years and remains actively involved in Mumbai's South Indian cultural circuit.

Before moving to Mumbai in 1969, she lived in Madras and worked as a radio jockey.

Reflecting on her life, she said:
"I can't 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 regrets."

These days, it's her love for cricket that has everyone impressed. Their neighbours have been telling Raghavan to start an Instagram page because of how passionate she is.

Her cricket journey

"When I started watching cricket in my 20s, I used to watch Test cricket." 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. "The radio quality had to be good, and we made sure of that."

Cricket memories she treasures

Because 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 Kolkata.

What happens after the IPL?

For Raghavan, cricket is more than entertainment; it is part of her daily routine.

"After the IPL ends, I often worry about what I will do in my free time. I will deeply miss it," she said.

IPL final prediction

"With Shubman Gill as the captain, I want the Gujarat Titans to win the finals. I detest RCB."

Favourite match

A match where she got to watch the three famous Ws of West Indies cricket - Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Clyde Walcott, and Sir Frank Worrell. Weekes and Walcott were part of the West Indies Test team in India in 1948-49.

Kalyani Raghavan at a glance

Age: 93 on June 11
Residence: Chunabhatti, Sion
Lifelong passions
. Carnatic music
. Cricket
. Sudoku
Family's latest gift
. A 65-inch television to watch the IPL
Favourite cricket format
. Test cricket