Describe yourself in a hashtag.
#Honest
How have you managed to keep up with your training during and post the lockdown?
I follow my routines, which are important to have even during the lockdown and it’s also important to be disciplined.
And what will be the most challenging part about getting back to the field post the lockdown?
Definitely the celebrations after we get the opponent team’s wicket!
What’s the best thing you have tried during this time?
I have tried my hand at Elsa Speak, and it has been very user- friendly. It’s a great app for improving English speaking skills.
What’s the most Marathi thing about you?
That I’m hardworking and enjoy my plate of poha.
And your favourite word in the locker room...?
Shabash!
Tell us the most cherished memory of your coaching days in Dombivli.
Practising on a wet cement wicket without pads.
And your favourite Sunday memory while growing up...?
Savouring poha, fafda and jalebi for breakfast!
What’s one new life skill that fatherhood has taught you recently?
Singing for my daughter, Aarya.
Do you recall your first reaction when you heard the news of your daughter’s birth?
I was in Vizag playing a Test match opposite South Africa, and the team manager got the call about Aarya’s birth, and I was fielding that time!
List three things no one knows about you.
I can cook, sing, I am a good mime!
And one thing about you that you have most recently discovered?
That I can cook really well!
If you could time travel, what era would you pick?
I would have liked to live during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s era.
Finally, an advice you will give your 10-year-old self...?
Be fearless.
From HT Brunch, July 5, 2020
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