Meet star cricketer who is fluent in three languages, Tamil, Marathi, Hindi, not Rohit Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, Suryakumar Yadav

Amid the ongoing debate over the three-language policy in Tamil Nadu, Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer stands as a real-life example of multilingualism. Unlike many Mumbai-born cricketers who primarily speak Hindi and Marathi, Iyer is also fluent in Tamil, his mother tongue.

Born on December 6, 1994, in Chembur, Mumbai, Shreyas Iyer comes from a Tamil-speaking family. His father, Santosh Iyer, is Tamilian, while his mother, Rohini Iyer, is from a Tulu-speaking community. Despite growing up in Maharashtra, Iyer has remained connected to his Tamil roots, making him fluent in Tamil, Marathi, and Hindi.

His schooling at Don Bosco High School, Matunga, and college at Ramniranjan Anandilal Podar College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai further strengthened his Marathi and Hindi language skills. However, his family background ensured that he never lost touch with Tamil.

About the Three-Language Formula 

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes a three-language formula, requiring students to learn three languages, with at least two being Indian languages. Tamil Nadu has strongly opposed this, sticking to its two-language policy of Tamil and English.

The opposition to the three-language formula dates back to 1937, when an attempt to make Hindi compulsory led to major protests. In 1968, Tamil Nadu officially rejected the policy, fearing it would impose Hindi on the state. Recently, the Centre withheld Rs 573 crore in education funds because Tamil Nadu refused to implement key NEP guidelines.