Stadiums are a lot more louder than this come on all right so we know that cricket was an arranged marriage for you your your father had decided already that this is the sport that he will play um when is it that you fell in love with Cricket let’s let’s ask you that
Um still figuring that out because I think that’s a very interesting word arrang marriage uh I I was very young that time I was more into roller skating and you know playing bit of tennis and playing football and and eventually my father said you just going to play cricket from now on
Because I think he wanted me to live his dream yeah he didn’t play for India for for a long time he wanted me to become a fast bowler but uh fortunately for me and un fortunately for him I became a batsman allrounder spinner and uh yeah I think at the age of
Say 15 16 started competing and um you know winning the under 19 World Cup I knew that I had it in me to go all the way but I didn’t know how to sustain it cuz I was very young so I think at the age of I was almost
Going to be 19 I played played first time for India against one of the best attacks in the world and I think just again the process had started from the age of 11 that my father was hitting me with wet tennis balls leather balls plastic balls at times I was not wearing
A helmet as well because my father’s Idol was Vivan Richards so he said if he’s not going to wear a helmet you not going to wear a helmet as well so I had to convince him after a couple of years that you know the best place of AR is
Tuler he wears a helmet see if you could tell us about some things that you did you believe that no one else or very few people would have done at that point in time I was um uh number three batsman uh opening number three batsman and when I played for India for
The first time I B number five Y and then I got a regular spot at number six so I could not bat top of the order like rinda seog was batting at six and he started to open yeah so I think the team requirement wanted him to open and
Me to batter number six and that’s how the formation happened with the balance of Team came in so sometimes I feel that you have to sacrifice your own personal goal for the team uh to look at the bigger picture to achieve the bigger picture so I think
That’s uh I I sacrificed that because I everybody want wants to B higher up the order because you know you want to get hundreds you want to break records and obviously the more balls you play the more opportunities you have but I think the team required me to B at number six
And had to sacrifice a personal goal for the team where did you learn these virtues of humility spirituality patience discipline sticking to the process I mean 11 12 year olds turning 16 to 19 it would be difficult right to learn all those things yeah I mean my father was on my case
24/7 uh he didn’t uh leave me for a single moment I mean from 6:00 a.m. in the morning till 8:00 in the evening I was on the park literally and then he kind of removed the garden in the house and made a cement Wicket where I used to practice in the
Night and that was the discipline he created at a very young age and then obviously when I came in the Indian team I could see how my seniors would behave off the field like how good ambassadors they were of the country you know how to treat other people how to talk to the
Media how to speak to your fans I think that that showed a lot of humility so it was it was a hard balance you know as a young kid I always thought you know when you play for India you can do whatever you want and then I realized when you’re
Playing for India you can’t do 90% of things because you’re being watched every day and you have to set example out there for the Youth and you know when was it that that moment uh when did it hit you when you said that okay you’re playing for India you’re being
Watched every day you can’t do everything that you want was there any particular instance or was it over a period of time I think when you get dropped from the team and I got dropped from the team and you get so much of criticism and you’re not able to handle
It because you’re young kid and then slowly you learn to handle it and you know you come back in the team you you succeed again and then slowly slowly you realize that this is all just a part of your journey you know when you representing India you know you have a lot of
Responsibility and you have to be in a certain way and you have to balance your life along with it so I think um learned the hard way and that’s what made me who I am today because I learned the hard way you said that you learned a lot from
The team environment at the time you joined your seniors Etc tell me a couple of things that people have taught you okay I’ll take some names Mr Anil kumle you call him the Headmaster he was a hard task master on the field like I remember when me and Mohammad ke were
Fielding we knew if the ball goes from us he’s going to have a go at us so our job guys who are 20 21 the park is to break your body but the ball should not pass you so you know you could see the guy would give 100% I mean remember
Kumle was bowling with a broken jaw in West Indies so it’s so inspiring to see a senior do that if you get he can do that then you need to learn to do that right so that was an Kum for you but a lovely guy of the field who still joke
Around with him and he laughs at us vender seag you spoke about him opening the Innings wham bam was he off the field the same as he was on the field no holds B Vu was a completely different guy he’s um he would whistle off the field he
Will whistle on the field while he’s batting he’s someone who really didn’t it seemed like he didn’t take much pressure on himself cuz if he’s the kind of guy if he had a look at the first ball he would go after it and he was
Very clear in his thinking that if I see the ball I hit the ball and uh very relaxed guy off the field as well what was ganguli process like because everyone calls him the aggressive Captain who backed all the youngsters and all of that and stuff I’m sure there was method to the
Madness see I think s of obviously very young captain and uh I had a lot of huge responsibility because uh because after some controversies couple of younger guys came in the team and he really backed us like we were not consistent we were in
Out of the team but he knew that we had the talent so actually he uh really supported us I will save this one for the last and that is Mr Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar because you said you lifted the bat because of him you started admiring Cricket because of him so what
Were the few things that you learned from him me and my dad will always bet every game how much sain will score and you know seen him play since a very young age and my father would say if he can play at 16 you can play at 14 I like
My dad’s got really high old from me so learning I think very humble very humble human you always there as a senior uh it took a long time to uh you know get close to him because was by the time I came to the sign he
Was already a legend at a very young age and I remember I sat in the dressing room for the first time and I opened my kid bag and I had a picture of Sachin and he was sitting next to me wow and uh and he looked at my coffin he goes nice
Picture who’s that who’s that guy and he started laughing so I think broke the I that’s how I was able to speak to him and obviously over the years uh you know I have a relationship with him where I can go speak to him about my life you
Know about my struggles obviously my struggles of batting I would always go and sort out with him so I think he was kind of my mentor in the team whenever he was there and whenever I was there in the team so learned a lot from him just
A few personal things that he would have told you that helped you a lot in your life outside of cricket if you could share some of those with us you just gauge like how he talks to people like his attitude in training if he scored a zero or 100 would be the same
I remember he was on 7700s and he would work for Gary Ken for long hours in 2003 World Cup he was uh you could see the the guys you know practicing things differently and you like you know learn a lot from it and then obviously how you know he spoke
To the media and how to be grounded when you are you know that successful and obviously um I had couple of issues with batting in my spin I was not a good player of spin when I came to the side he told me that you know you need to you
Need to learn how to sweep especially when you’re playing in slow Asian tracks and every time I was in trouble a bit of motivation I think before the World Cup I had a great chat with him where actually really helped me in terms of you know uh
Getting the best of my mental side because physically I was struggling so you know you know sometimes you don’t see things in you but people see around what’s happening so it’s good to know that somebody’s got your back well he just described the qualities of a great
Mentor and that perhaps leads to the team’s Victory as well 2007 and the the next T20 world cup is what I’d like your thoughts about not the 2007 T20 World Cup but the 2007 ODI World Cup where the team wasn’t doing well what do you think happened out there because on paper that
Perhaps was the strongest team ever I mean we didn’t have a good atmosphere in the dressing room when the team is not jelling together results are not going to come by what does that mean a good atmosphere because one would imagine that you know there are kids who
Are just going out to play a game and ideally there should be a happy atmosphere that’s what the average Joe thinks but what is not a good atmosphere when kids going out there to play they have a they have a Fearless mind when adults go out to play they have a
Fearful mind so the atmosphere on the team means like guys are not jelling the decisions that are happening people not agreeing with that uh there are groups in the team and uh there’s not a good vibe you know so all those things were happening you know as I said talk about
Tuler he was our best player he was batting at number four which was I don’t think was the right decision at that time but again you know uh it’s debatable and then obviously uh lot of guys were dropped and then they came back in the side just before the
World Cup so it was just uh not a good time in Indian cricket and uh you know you learn from it and you move forward Ms Tony usually does not speak much you said in the game against Australia while he was going getting out he walked past you and said shabash
Yiana yeah I think it was a very high pressure game and uh normally if you look at our stat stats me and Mahi have had a lot of big Partnerships incredible ones yeah we don’t need to look at Stats we’ll just jog our memory down and our childhood has been colored with some
Great but also big games big games big games and I remember and the thing is that we lost to Australia 2003 World Cup final and that’s OB obviously playing in your mind and then you’re chasing 265 they got you 180 for5 and Don got out and I remember him normally if he gets
Out or I get out we just go back and he just walked past and he said shabash shui and I was like yeah there’s anywhere no pressure here and you just said that in my head I was thinking you know where I’m going from all these conversations that I’m having
Right next week we have the ODI World Cup starting what do you think are our chances our chances are looking good now I was not not sure before the Asia cup because a lot of guys were injured just bura one of our main Bowlers coming back but with the Asia cup performances and
Now beating a top side like Australia I think we’re looking good and I just feel the pressure is going to be different this time because this is no quarterfinal you know you play everyone and you straight away go in a big game like same fin yeah and if you
Have a bad session in that game you could lose the game so the pressure is going to be very C very quick very certain if India qualifies so I just hope that the game time they will have in the 9 11 games 12 games whatever they
Play and on a big on a big game they able to absorb that pressure what would you say your mindset preparation should be for these 9 to 11 games that you’re going to play well I would say that play the situation not the expectation because you know country the expectation is
India has come to win India is only going to win India beats Pakistan we won the World Cup you have to realize that people expectations always they want their country to win because they will expect that from you cuz you’re one of the best teams in the
World but the point is that if you if you are good enough to play the situation and sail through I’m sure you will end up playing the World Cup final let me put you on the spot then your top four uh semi-final teams would be uh obviously India I think Australia so
There is England New Zealand and South Africa I would probably say New Zealand and South Africa New Zealand and South Africa so India Australia I would pick five okay you would pick five because you’re yat Singh we’ll give you five as well but let’s let’s ask you a couple of
Fun questions now so tell me about the innovation in pranks because you were the master prankster of of the team along with baji give me a couple of these Innovative pranks that you played because Sor Gangi played a very bad prank on me when I was making my debut
What did he do he told me that I’m going to open against Australia wow and I had a sleepless night and next day he’s like so were you happy at not opening or were you happy at not being given the opening slot I was very happy not
Opening because all night I D for about MRA Gillespie and Bradley bowling wow 150 145 140 at me and then obviously I was like okay I didn’t say anything to Dada I was like one day if I’m I stay in the team I will give it back and then we
Were playing Pakistan in 2004 and me and baji made a false paper of times of India where D’s given false statements about his players that he’s not happy with his teammates and some guys are not supporting him and obviously you know we go in the morning
With tell the whole team we’re going to play a prank on dala because it’s April Fool’s Day showing the paper and dala has obviously gone red in his face and he goes I have not said this if I say if I have said this I will resign just now
So he’s walking towards the uh um towards the media to give a statement and Rahul touches shoulder April Fool and he’s like so obviously people pointed to me and buaji and he started running after us and I was like relax we have a match to play have you ever pulled a fast one
On Sachin I tried to but he was always a bit ahead of everyone just like on Bowlers so very tough has he pulled the fast one on you every time what has he done um I don’t know in conversation obviously he has a great sense of humor
It’s very hard to like win win from him in a conversation and uh I always uh we always play TT we always battle in table tennis and till now after 20 years trying to figure out to beat him in table tennis how do you physically endure the kind of pain that you are
Playing with when you are on the ground because mentally you can be strong you can say okay one more over I have to bat one more ball I have to bat but when that leather hits it really stings hurts right how do you play with pain see I
Think you get used to it you get used to getting injured or falling on the on the park and you take a lot of inspiration from other sports uh you know the guys who are you know in other sports and you see how dangerous some other sports are
And you know you have to put your body on line when you’re presenting your country you’re like a I always feel if you’re representing a country like a soldier country comes first so I think when when you have when you have that kind of motive everything falls in place
Everything falls in place and uh the way it did fall in place on 2nd April 20 2011 as well but cut to exactly a couple of months later how was it dealing with that at that point in time and I’m sure initially there was that shock thereafter you started to come ter come
To terms with it how was that process yeah it was hard because as an atlete is hard when you’re uh you know you’re playing for your country and your training you’re physically fit and something like that hits you uh I think it’s kind of a shock and
You I was not able to come to terms with it for a year you know I kept on playing and my health became worse and eventually the doctor said that you know you don’t have much time so either you keep playing Cricket or you go for your
Treatment and that was a shock for me and then obviously I had to go for my treatment uh it it it was it was a big setback in my career because I was probably at the peak of my career and uh the test spot has just opened up because D had retired
So it was unfortunate but you know you kind of look back and be proud of yourself through the Journey uh how I fought and how I prevailed through and uh knew I was able to inspire a lot of people from there in their Journeys people who were going through cancer uh
Started my own Cancer Foundation called UV can of course in 2013 when I came back uh took me about 2 years to get fully fit you know I was in and out of the team and then uh I eventually came and scored my highest score so M over
Matter and uh yeah and here I am here you are I mean a huge round of applause for just being able to step on that field once again and thereafter you know uh make your highest ODI score post that 150 that was just incredible in fact you
Know you’ve described your life as a series of the letter c um started out from chandigar then played cricket scored a lot of centuries won a lot of Cups then battled the big CA that we’re talking about right now but the only one C that I think defines you is a champion
And we just have to give it up for the champion that you sing is um what do you think your life as an athlete Tau you for the life outside and what do you think businessmen can learn from Sports what we can learn from each other is team building is team bonding
Because I think in business to create uh you know if you look at the big corporates they have great teams and I was talking about sacrifice sometimes you have to sacrifice your position for the betterment of the team of the cooperate and that’s how you different you think different teams who think
Differently are champions and same I think same in business you know corporates who think different are the are are the guys who make it big all right at what point does data stop and the human intelligence start at what point is it gut at what point is it data
And what point is it gut data gut see you can make a good team with data but with data you can’t win a game you have to win a game with your instinct what you’ve learned what your skill has provided you and you need to have good match winners in your team otherwise
Data is not going to help you but the data will provide you with good match winners which you’re going to buy but once you have a team you know you got to show your performance on the field data can only help you in a certain way you
Are a father yourself right now how have you turned out as a parent evolved from what you’ve learned from your parents my father definitely had no data on me and he made sure that um that I’m his hard drive and he’s going to feed all the information that he’s learned in his
Cricketing career I definitely won’t go my father’s way and tell him to start playing Cricket at the age of three uh I just want him to you know live like a normal kid you know give him an opportunity to decide what he wants
To do with his life let the kid be a kid that’s my philosophy if you had to turn back the clock what would you tell your younger self what’s the one piece of advice that you would give if I had more knowledge about know training and diet
Would have helped my career um and and uh I definitely would not like to go through the cancer Journey again cuz that was painful uh but otherwise I don’t have much regrets the only regret that I have is that I should have played golf at a very young age because I love
The sport now who do you think uh will be the next one to hit six sixes the way IPL or T20 is going anybody can hit sixes 6 sixes in a day uh in an over I mean a lot of guys have come close to it it’s just a matter of time
The good thing is that if nobody bowls a no ball H somebody will equal my record if somebody bowls a no ball then the 76 is going to be up for gra but let’s see who do you see the most of yuat Singh In in the current lot see I
Think every player is different I never like to relate some player to other players but jall has done exceptionally well IPL grade I season 170 on debut as a dream start for any young guy but for me personally I’ve seen the graph of Shuman Gil since uh we played play he
Played for Punjab and I’ve been watching him over the years I’ve worked had an opportunity to work with him as well and I’ve seen his graph and the way he’s going I I I I think he’s going to be one of the best players of this generation
If India were to win the World Cup and we hope hope and pray that we do I think if India has to win the World Cup I think Shuman can be the game changer because when you’re a young guy you’re more Fearless you’re not worried about you know big situations you’re worried
About you’re just thinking about how I can you know change the moment change the momentum of the game I think his game is at that level right now you know scored a double 100 in one day Cricket which is a big thing at a young age and
I definitely think he can you know break the shackles of the opposition is this the last ODI world cup that we will see according to you I actually don’t know it’s a very interesting question I actually feel if I I honestly feel 50 over World 50 over Cricket is
Dying now because the World Cup is coming so people will be excited but people are more prone to watch T20 because it’s faster it’s quicker it’s like football or any other fast sport I just feel if they want to make 50 over more exciting they probably could change the
Format which I think Sachin had suggested a couple of years ago to make it 25 hours each side and you know both teams B twice a two inning 50 over game is 25 overs one inning yeah perfect makes sense and finally I know you love music if you could describe your life so
Far in a song what would it be I think it’s I would be I it would be I Did It My Way Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra youaj this was a pleasure of speaking with you thank you so much this is great
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