Sports in Tamil Nadu range from deeply rooted traditional events to international professional leagues.
* **Cricket:** The most popular sport. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is a highly successful Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise that plays at the historic M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk). * **Chess:** Tamil Nadu is India's undisputed chess powerhouse, producing numerous Grandmasters, including five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand and prodigies like R. Praggnanandhaa and D. Gukesh. * **Traditional Sports:** *Jallikattu*, a traditional bull-taming event held during the Pongal festival, is deeply tied to Tamil identity, agrarian culture, and the breeding of native cattle.