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I was at the MCA Club in BKC on the day of the Mumbai semi-final for lunch with my friend Shripad Shende from IDFC First Bank. Shripad loves his sport and is someone I enjoy talking to. Just as we were about to get into our malai kulfi, a common friend, Nishant Dayal, walked up to me and said that Rohit Sharma was practising at the MCA.
I hadn’t met Rohit for a while and my first thought was to go and say hello. But then he was training and I wasn’t sure if it would be the right call. All of us stepped out of the dining room to see what he was up to, and that’s when Rohit was completing one of his sprints. He was actually running towards me and was at a distance of about 50 metres. With not many people around, it was easy for him to spot me and the moment he did, he gave me a shout-out.
“Dada, kemon acho?” he said in almost perfect Bangla – very Rohit if you know him well – and gestured for me to come up to where he was training. We gave each other a hug and the first thing he said to me was that I had lost weight.
I laughed and told him he had all but reduced himself to half! It is very evident to all of us and the effort must have been humungous. “I have enjoyed doing so, dada,” he said. “No one disturbs me here and I just love coming here to train. For the last few years it was always about moving from one match to another and dealing with multiple things as captain of India. Now I have time and I am enjoying my training.”
No, he did not spell out that he wants to play the 2027 World Cup. But then many things are best left unsaid. Knowing his training regime, I have no doubt in my mind that Rohit is eyeing the 50-over World Cup and will give it his all to make it. As India travels to Ahmedabad seeking redemption for November 19, 2023, Rohit has his own song to sing. He did everything possible to get his team over the finish line in 2023 and yet fell just short at the final hurdle. While he made sure there was no slip-up in 2024, the 50-over World Cup is still there for him to win. And now, that’s his bullseye.
His trainer was listening to the conversation with a very satisfied look, and after about 25 minutes nudged him to say that the chat was enough! He needed to get back to business and resume the sprints. For me, the connection was instant and a reminder that some relationships always stay true to their calling.
As we parted ways, he said, “Sunday is your birthday, isn’t it?” When I said yes, he asked how old I would be. When I said 50, he screamed out, “Half-century, Dada! I will call you and wish. Go well.”
It was a lovely 30 minutes spent with a true gentleman of the sport.
Also Read: Fifty Not Out: Choosing Family Over a World Cup Final
The post A Sprint, a Hug, and Quiet Redemption: Meeting Rohit Sharma at the MCA appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
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