This Cricket World Cup Belongs to me & my father,uncles,cousins , various teammates & family too :
On April 2’11-India has once again won the Cricket World Cup for the second time after a long gap of 28 years. India celebrates in unison, making this victory their own. In the days to come, much will be written and said about the euphoria that surrounds the celebrations. The team in all their generosity dedicate the cup to THE ONE who epitomizes perseverance, strength, resilience, kindness and love for the game – Sachin Tendulkar, the God of cricket!
But then, the worldcup is as much of every Indian & I take the liberty to dedicate this cup to my father-who was my 1st cricketing coach , my uncles who helped me grow on cricket ,my cousins, our family & myself. Like the million Indians all over the world who think of this victory as theirs and theirs alone, for doing their bit for India to win. Some praying, others maintaining a fast, and even some wearing the same lucky shirt every time India played, and the rest making the wish to the universe for the men in blue. All superstitions have been followed, sitting in the same position & place for hours when India seemed to lose and surprisingly recovering a win to show that God had listened to these little requests. Myself did it too & am sure my father did his bit too. He would have sat patiently in his rocking chair, diligently watching on television every ball bowled, every stoke of the bat that kissed the ball, every run made, every wicket that fell , all despite sometimes troubled by his hearing , at full volume .Whilst I sat on a beanbag with left foot on the centre table & not budging one vee bit right through the Quarter finals versus Aussies ,Semis against Pakis & the finals versus the Lankans. This World Cup Belongs To Me & my Father, Too. My father played cricket when he was in school & his ITI training.He was a decent top order batsmen & a medium pacer. He used to recollect from memory some of his earliest experiences in the 1950s &60s. Some of his cousins & elder brother were active cricketrs in their own styles & hence heard him state a few rivalries both on & off the cricket grounds of erstwhile Mangalore in the good old days of the newly independent India.
His memory is a little blur & merges with memories of their cricketing tales told by my uncle Mr.Kamalaksh (Lovingly addressed as YELIYA DODDA,Yeliya meaning younger in Thulu-my native language))who was a opening bowler.Their common memories were the innumerable victories they had playing for heir respective teams against their own cousins during their growing up years. One memory that has lived through is ofcourse the hardships they had faced & the levels to which they resorted to carry on playing their game of love-cricket.
Their growing up on cricket : The little boys love for cricket shone very early in their lives. They were selected for the Sub Junior levels, High school senior levels even whist as 8-10yeras olds.My uncle Kamalskh went on to represent Alosiyus college through his BA in the university games as a opening bowler whilst my father went on to represent the ITI Kadri team with distinction as a top order batsmen.
My coaches:
As life took its own paths for the brothers &they got busy with their lives at different places pursuing their careers , their growing families, their association with active cricket dwindled down. Cricket though was deep rooted in their hearts & they never missed a opportunity to play or conduct matches for their employers or social teams through times.
Amidst all these came glorious passing over of the bton to the young me in my early teens. Ironically it was my father who taught me how to bowl with a straight arm whilst my uncle taught me footwork & batting skills though he was a opening bowler.
There were numerous instances of me bowling 100s of balls to my dad who willingly acted as the wicket keeper whilst I always looked forwad to learning more on my batting whenever my uncle used to visit us in Bangalore.
The moment of reckoning! My dad & uncle were so proud when I was selected for my school cricket team as a 7th std boy whilst the big boys of the Xstd were the heros of the team.Both started sharing much more insights into me & helped dwell into the mental side of cricket early on. I was surprised that both my dad & uncle had turned up at the cricket ground-the Indian Institute of Science grounds, Yeswantur,Banglore without informing me or eachother to watch me debut for my school team.
As fate would have it,I got to bat in the middle order & the 1st ball I faced was a offspinner whom I drove on the full to the cover boundary.Lo! I heard familiar voices cheering me from the boundary & to my surprise when I looked up –I saw my dad & uncle each clapping & cheering me on! Suddenly tears rolled down my cheeks & emotion took over. I couldn’t focus on the next ball & as I prodded front almost blinded by the tears,snicked into the keeper’s gloves. There was no appeal by the keeper or the bowler.But something in me ,made me walk back to the pavilion. The umpire asked me the reason & I indicated the edge as I wiped my tears all the way back. As I crossed the boundary line,both my dad & uncle came running over to me & putting their hands over my shoulder paid me the best complimen I have ever heard on a cricket field.-“Today you have done us proud by being true to yourself and to the game”!! To see two brothers who were then their mid 40s ,wiping a tear & yet feeling proud of their prodigy –is what has instilled in me the spirit of the game which I carry on in my heart till date!
In the Worldcup league match versus West indies,when Sachin Tendulkar quietly walked away into the pavilion having snicked Rampal, unwilling to look at the umpire, knowing he is out, it merely affirms the tale of truth that cricket taught me through my dad & uncle.
The Historical Day of 2nd April 2011 : It has been long since I had spoken to my father & on April 1st when did speak to wish him on his 71st Birthday, we spoke cricket after many years.
When India were through with Dhoni having lofted Kulasekara over the long on into the stands,I stood up from my bean bag & called home! Just as I had expected both my paretnts were glued to the television right thourgh the day from the pre-match analysis to the experts counsel at lunch break whilst all along knowing that the game of cricket is unpredictable, until the last ball is bowled.
My understanding of the game, the analysis of the complex and yet ‘simply-turned-simple’ imperial game is all thanks to the inputs my dad & his borther passed on.Times have changed &so has cricket. People have changed. Yet basic truths about people,game,stands timeless.
It is a treat to hear my dad’s match predictions and insights which can sometimes be exact opposite to what the experts on TV comment.
When Dad was growing up,there was no TV.It was only AIR radio.Yet he knew each & every player,their strengths & their mental aspects to the game. He wanted his son to see cricket & hence had got a TV-black & white Onida home for the 1983 Worldcup.That was my 1st sight of cricket & the fascination goes on till date.
My only connect with my father now is Cricket! Growing up with my two uncles –Prakash & Pramod exposed me to how cricket was played in Mumbai.Cricket was the anthem of all discussions at home when my uncles came visiting. Whenever I was in Mumbai for school vacations-got to play the rough cricket with all the eldesr of my uncles’ team as a young prodigy,opening the batting against some good quality fast bowlers!
Cricket treated my mother well too as my grandfather was a cricket buff .Hence my grandmom & mom too became extended expert commentetaors during any discussion on cricket or a match.
Today, whenever I step onto the cricket field –a silent thanks goes out to my father & uncle Kamalaksh who taught me cricket & my uncles Prakash/Pramod who instilled the inert cricketing sense of Mumbai cricket into me.
Those days, my dad & uncle used to play sharing the cricket kit with their teams .My uncle who represented State Bank of Hyderabad teams had their bit of sharing too. But what we have today is luxury compared to the hardships they underwent playing their cricket-sometimes without proper cricketing shoes on dusty,rugged grounds.
Dad is 71. Uncle Kamalaksh is no more. Uncle Prakash follows cricket in general &Sachin in particularly closely on TV from PuttaParthy. Yet they pass on their skills & techniques that life taught them through cricket to me in subtle notes.It is only cricket that bonds us all even more .We follow the match and the highlights over and over again. We speak right through nights about cricket.
Amidst all these is Ramanath uncle with whom I share a unique bond including his passion for cricket.He used to share his experiences of meeting EAS Prasanna & others whilst we both used to watch the predawn matches between India & Australia at his flat in Bahrain-wking up ealry morning 3am .He has been my energy booster with all his positivity around him & wishes me well in whatever I do,including cricket.
Then there were my cousins-Ganesh & Dinesh with whom I shared many insights wtahcing cricket matches as we grew up.Both had their own views about players,match situations & their comments/observations always helped bring out a laugh amidst all the tense moments of the matches. Dinesh did play with me in our B''lore league matches as a offpsiner & middle order batsmen for a few matches that I took him along .Ganesh played along with our tennis ball teams which we met sociallay at parks behind our house. Cricket helped bond as we grew up.
There was my neighbour,Madhusudan who actually introduced me to the relam of league crikcet & took me often to the KSC stadium whenever ther was a international match on in Bangalore. Without him, I might not have played cricket at the league levels in B'lore rubbing shoulders with the likes of Anil Kumble, Vijay & Rahud Dravid, Sujit Somasunder,Vinayakumar,etc.. He used to make notes of all my performances ,every weekend & inculcate in me a discipline to out do my previous performance. He used to take me on his bike to far flung grounds in & around B'lore & Mysore to expose me to all kind of people, cricketers in particular & ifein general.
This is perhaps true in most of the households that we Indians who have grown through the game of cricket. Generations connected in one family by the bond of a game that runs a narrative through historical times-Times that are both emotional & timesless! This worldcup trophy belongs to my cricket coaches-my father: for all that he accomplished and for all the dreams he nurtured to play ,with limited resources & opportunities through life’s challenges. But above all, for passing on the true spirit of cricket & life to me. Today he plays the game of cricket from his drawing room, watching Sachin open the innings like he did, appreciating the techniques of Dravid,Kallis and himself .Madhusudan sometimes whenever we meet at Bangalore quietly passes on that praise of Sachin saying he his reminded not of his playing times..but sees me whenever he sees Sachin on the field! Now what more does a cricket fanatic like me want?!
Amidst all these is my bunch of teammates who have all come to Bahrain from varied backgrounds & connect together on weekends to play some competitive cricket-My own Royal Knight Cricket Team( RKCT).There have been teams aplenty whom I have played & captained,but this bunch of cricketers are unique & special! It is the passion ,involvement & spirit that these guys display on/off the field which makes me reach out to them-not only for their cricketing skills & special talents-but their humility,love & affection! Hence went out a step further to mentor,nurture & build this wonderful team as it has been a blesisng being a part of this wonderful unit whom I proudly consider my personal family in Bahrain!
This RKCT has provided me the weekly dose of cricketing action & practise to prepare myself to excel in the corporate cricketing league team that I have been representing since 2003-the SVMC -Saudi Valve Manufacturing Company! All my cricketing strategies ,thoughts & on-field actions for RKCT always helped me perform betetr for SVMC & most of it were what I had learnt on/off the field representing Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) in the 2nd division KSCA league.
All the teammates since school,all the coaches,captains who were as passionate & involved in cricket ,like myself -am sure feel proud of their cricketing association..when they saw Team India lift the coveted cup.
Captaincy:Amidst all the buzz around the World cup victory,a moment of thought to our own M S Dhoni who marvelled at man management whilst not sacrificing the winning edge! He took huge risks without flinching his own conviction on means/players to back to obtain the ultimate goal.Most captains woudl have played Ashwin & not Sreeshant in the finals.Ordinary people would have preferred to allow the man in form-Yuvraj to play up the order whilst India were 121/3 when one's own form was not great right through the tournament. Having been blessed to be the captain of almost all the teams I have played for,could connect with what MSD would have been going through with all pressures & media blitz .Hats off to the man who kept his cool & smiled through to victory....
Hence this world cup belongs to me, my dad too, just as it belongs to every Indian who follows the game. It is each ones trophy –mine, my uncles ,my cousins,our family,all my various teammates since school ,special mention of RKCT & all Indians....
Cricket..my passion..continues..unhindered by the professional demands ,as the quest for the next bigh high of the weekend league match,next series on TV ,etc goes on..............
On April 2’11-India has once again won the Cricket World Cup for the second time after a long gap of 28 years. India celebrates in unison, making this victory their own. In the days to come, much will be written and said about the euphoria that surrounds the celebrations. The team in all their generosity dedicate the cup to THE ONE who epitomizes perseverance, strength, resilience, kindness and love for the game – Sachin Tendulkar, the God of cricket!
But then, the worldcup is as much of every Indian & I take the liberty to dedicate this cup to my father-who was my 1st cricketing coach , my uncles who helped me grow on cricket ,my cousins, our family & myself. Like the million Indians all over the world who think of this victory as theirs and theirs alone, for doing their bit for India to win. Some praying, others maintaining a fast, and even some wearing the same lucky shirt every time India played, and the rest making the wish to the universe for the men in blue. All superstitions have been followed, sitting in the same position & place for hours when India seemed to lose and surprisingly recovering a win to show that God had listened to these little requests. Myself did it too & am sure my father did his bit too. He would have sat patiently in his rocking chair, diligently watching on television every ball bowled, every stoke of the bat that kissed the ball, every run made, every wicket that fell , all despite sometimes troubled by his hearing , at full volume .Whilst I sat on a beanbag with left foot on the centre table & not budging one vee bit right through the Quarter finals versus Aussies ,Semis against Pakis & the finals versus the Lankans. This World Cup Belongs To Me & my Father, Too. My father played cricket when he was in school & his ITI training.He was a decent top order batsmen & a medium pacer. He used to recollect from memory some of his earliest experiences in the 1950s &60s. Some of his cousins & elder brother were active cricketrs in their own styles & hence heard him state a few rivalries both on & off the cricket grounds of erstwhile Mangalore in the good old days of the newly independent India.
His memory is a little blur & merges with memories of their cricketing tales told by my uncle Mr.Kamalaksh (Lovingly addressed as YELIYA DODDA,Yeliya meaning younger in Thulu-my native language))who was a opening bowler.Their common memories were the innumerable victories they had playing for heir respective teams against their own cousins during their growing up years. One memory that has lived through is ofcourse the hardships they had faced & the levels to which they resorted to carry on playing their game of love-cricket.
Their growing up on cricket : The little boys love for cricket shone very early in their lives. They were selected for the Sub Junior levels, High school senior levels even whist as 8-10yeras olds.My uncle Kamalskh went on to represent Alosiyus college through his BA in the university games as a opening bowler whilst my father went on to represent the ITI Kadri team with distinction as a top order batsmen.
My coaches:
As life took its own paths for the brothers &they got busy with their lives at different places pursuing their careers , their growing families, their association with active cricket dwindled down. Cricket though was deep rooted in their hearts & they never missed a opportunity to play or conduct matches for their employers or social teams through times.
Amidst all these came glorious passing over of the bton to the young me in my early teens. Ironically it was my father who taught me how to bowl with a straight arm whilst my uncle taught me footwork & batting skills though he was a opening bowler.
There were numerous instances of me bowling 100s of balls to my dad who willingly acted as the wicket keeper whilst I always looked forwad to learning more on my batting whenever my uncle used to visit us in Bangalore.
The moment of reckoning! My dad & uncle were so proud when I was selected for my school cricket team as a 7th std boy whilst the big boys of the Xstd were the heros of the team.Both started sharing much more insights into me & helped dwell into the mental side of cricket early on. I was surprised that both my dad & uncle had turned up at the cricket ground-the Indian Institute of Science grounds, Yeswantur,Banglore without informing me or eachother to watch me debut for my school team.
As fate would have it,I got to bat in the middle order & the 1st ball I faced was a offspinner whom I drove on the full to the cover boundary.Lo! I heard familiar voices cheering me from the boundary & to my surprise when I looked up –I saw my dad & uncle each clapping & cheering me on! Suddenly tears rolled down my cheeks & emotion took over. I couldn’t focus on the next ball & as I prodded front almost blinded by the tears,snicked into the keeper’s gloves. There was no appeal by the keeper or the bowler.But something in me ,made me walk back to the pavilion. The umpire asked me the reason & I indicated the edge as I wiped my tears all the way back. As I crossed the boundary line,both my dad & uncle came running over to me & putting their hands over my shoulder paid me the best complimen I have ever heard on a cricket field.-“Today you have done us proud by being true to yourself and to the game”!! To see two brothers who were then their mid 40s ,wiping a tear & yet feeling proud of their prodigy –is what has instilled in me the spirit of the game which I carry on in my heart till date!
In the Worldcup league match versus West indies,when Sachin Tendulkar quietly walked away into the pavilion having snicked Rampal, unwilling to look at the umpire, knowing he is out, it merely affirms the tale of truth that cricket taught me through my dad & uncle.
The Historical Day of 2nd April 2011 : It has been long since I had spoken to my father & on April 1st when did speak to wish him on his 71st Birthday, we spoke cricket after many years.
When India were through with Dhoni having lofted Kulasekara over the long on into the stands,I stood up from my bean bag & called home! Just as I had expected both my paretnts were glued to the television right thourgh the day from the pre-match analysis to the experts counsel at lunch break whilst all along knowing that the game of cricket is unpredictable, until the last ball is bowled.
My understanding of the game, the analysis of the complex and yet ‘simply-turned-simple’ imperial game is all thanks to the inputs my dad & his borther passed on.Times have changed &so has cricket. People have changed. Yet basic truths about people,game,stands timeless.
It is a treat to hear my dad’s match predictions and insights which can sometimes be exact opposite to what the experts on TV comment.
When Dad was growing up,there was no TV.It was only AIR radio.Yet he knew each & every player,their strengths & their mental aspects to the game. He wanted his son to see cricket & hence had got a TV-black & white Onida home for the 1983 Worldcup.That was my 1st sight of cricket & the fascination goes on till date.
My only connect with my father now is Cricket! Growing up with my two uncles –Prakash & Pramod exposed me to how cricket was played in Mumbai.Cricket was the anthem of all discussions at home when my uncles came visiting. Whenever I was in Mumbai for school vacations-got to play the rough cricket with all the eldesr of my uncles’ team as a young prodigy,opening the batting against some good quality fast bowlers!
Cricket treated my mother well too as my grandfather was a cricket buff .Hence my grandmom & mom too became extended expert commentetaors during any discussion on cricket or a match.
Today, whenever I step onto the cricket field –a silent thanks goes out to my father & uncle Kamalaksh who taught me cricket & my uncles Prakash/Pramod who instilled the inert cricketing sense of Mumbai cricket into me.
Those days, my dad & uncle used to play sharing the cricket kit with their teams .My uncle who represented State Bank of Hyderabad teams had their bit of sharing too. But what we have today is luxury compared to the hardships they underwent playing their cricket-sometimes without proper cricketing shoes on dusty,rugged grounds.
Dad is 71. Uncle Kamalaksh is no more. Uncle Prakash follows cricket in general &Sachin in particularly closely on TV from PuttaParthy. Yet they pass on their skills & techniques that life taught them through cricket to me in subtle notes.It is only cricket that bonds us all even more .We follow the match and the highlights over and over again. We speak right through nights about cricket.
Amidst all these is Ramanath uncle with whom I share a unique bond including his passion for cricket.He used to share his experiences of meeting EAS Prasanna & others whilst we both used to watch the predawn matches between India & Australia at his flat in Bahrain-wking up ealry morning 3am .He has been my energy booster with all his positivity around him & wishes me well in whatever I do,including cricket.
Then there were my cousins-Ganesh & Dinesh with whom I shared many insights wtahcing cricket matches as we grew up.Both had their own views about players,match situations & their comments/observations always helped bring out a laugh amidst all the tense moments of the matches. Dinesh did play with me in our B''lore league matches as a offpsiner & middle order batsmen for a few matches that I took him along .Ganesh played along with our tennis ball teams which we met sociallay at parks behind our house. Cricket helped bond as we grew up.
There was my neighbour,Madhusudan who actually introduced me to the relam of league crikcet & took me often to the KSC stadium whenever ther was a international match on in Bangalore. Without him, I might not have played cricket at the league levels in B'lore rubbing shoulders with the likes of Anil Kumble, Vijay & Rahud Dravid, Sujit Somasunder,Vinayakumar,etc.. He used to make notes of all my performances ,every weekend & inculcate in me a discipline to out do my previous performance. He used to take me on his bike to far flung grounds in & around B'lore & Mysore to expose me to all kind of people, cricketers in particular & ifein general.
This is perhaps true in most of the households that we Indians who have grown through the game of cricket. Generations connected in one family by the bond of a game that runs a narrative through historical times-Times that are both emotional & timesless! This worldcup trophy belongs to my cricket coaches-my father: for all that he accomplished and for all the dreams he nurtured to play ,with limited resources & opportunities through life’s challenges. But above all, for passing on the true spirit of cricket & life to me. Today he plays the game of cricket from his drawing room, watching Sachin open the innings like he did, appreciating the techniques of Dravid,Kallis and himself .Madhusudan sometimes whenever we meet at Bangalore quietly passes on that praise of Sachin saying he his reminded not of his playing times..but sees me whenever he sees Sachin on the field! Now what more does a cricket fanatic like me want?!
Amidst all these is my bunch of teammates who have all come to Bahrain from varied backgrounds & connect together on weekends to play some competitive cricket-My own Royal Knight Cricket Team( RKCT).There have been teams aplenty whom I have played & captained,but this bunch of cricketers are unique & special! It is the passion ,involvement & spirit that these guys display on/off the field which makes me reach out to them-not only for their cricketing skills & special talents-but their humility,love & affection! Hence went out a step further to mentor,nurture & build this wonderful team as it has been a blesisng being a part of this wonderful unit whom I proudly consider my personal family in Bahrain!
This RKCT has provided me the weekly dose of cricketing action & practise to prepare myself to excel in the corporate cricketing league team that I have been representing since 2003-the SVMC -Saudi Valve Manufacturing Company! All my cricketing strategies ,thoughts & on-field actions for RKCT always helped me perform betetr for SVMC & most of it were what I had learnt on/off the field representing Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) in the 2nd division KSCA league.
All the teammates since school,all the coaches,captains who were as passionate & involved in cricket ,like myself -am sure feel proud of their cricketing association..when they saw Team India lift the coveted cup.
Captaincy:Amidst all the buzz around the World cup victory,a moment of thought to our own M S Dhoni who marvelled at man management whilst not sacrificing the winning edge! He took huge risks without flinching his own conviction on means/players to back to obtain the ultimate goal.Most captains woudl have played Ashwin & not Sreeshant in the finals.Ordinary people would have preferred to allow the man in form-Yuvraj to play up the order whilst India were 121/3 when one's own form was not great right through the tournament. Having been blessed to be the captain of almost all the teams I have played for,could connect with what MSD would have been going through with all pressures & media blitz .Hats off to the man who kept his cool & smiled through to victory....
Hence this world cup belongs to me, my dad too, just as it belongs to every Indian who follows the game. It is each ones trophy –mine, my uncles ,my cousins,our family,all my various teammates since school ,special mention of RKCT & all Indians....
Cricket..my passion..continues..unhindered by the professional demands ,as the quest for the next bigh high of the weekend league match,next series on TV ,etc goes on..............
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