By Tarryn Kelly
With thanks to Akanksha Kashyap
Just as you immediately notice the flowers on the highways of Singapore, or the croissants in the bakeries of France, cricket is something that you just can’t escape when in India.
Mumbai is a city of 23 million people and is the financial capital of India. However, when you arrive in Mumbai the first thing you drive past, is Asia's second largest slum - Dharavi. Tiny little houses are littered everywhere. The little houses are made up of all shapes and sizes, but there is one thing each little house has in common: a satellite dish.
I asked the cab driver, how is it that they all have satellite dishes in such poor living conditions? He looked back at me and gave me a one word answer:
“Cricket is a big part of my life, I can’t do anything without it. I tried to earn money through different sources, but couldn’t continue, because I kept coming back to cricket. Cricket, like most Indians, is my passion.”
“If you go to the Hindu temples, no one is there. If you go to the cricket fields, everyone is there.”
When in India, if you are ever short for conversation simply ask, “do you follow the cricket?”
Faces will immediately light up as the conversation turns to discussing international cricket and IPL (Indian Premier League Cricket).
However, if you are ever short for conversation and use the words, 'India vs Pakistan' - smiling will immediately cease.
You'll find most people respond with something along the lines of:
An international cricket player, who has requested to remain anonymous, recalled of a time when their team was playing a test series against Pakistan in Pakistan. India won each game within the series. After returning to India, they were welcomed home with warm arms. They went straight through security, no bags were checked, and their luggage was swiftly carried through customs. As they walked through to the passenger arrivals, they were greeted by an entourage of people who were cheering and congratulating them on their victory. They were celebrities.
The next test series however, was quite a different story. They still won the series; however, this time they lost one of the three matches. After returning to India, they were greeted with quite a different scene. A thorough security check, made to carry their own bags and of course, there was no welcoming crowd upon arrival.
"It's important to win a game. But when it is against Pakistan, it is the icing on the cake."
Nilish Kilkarni is one such person who was fortunate enough to represent India in cricket on an international level. Not a day goes by where Nilish doesn’t acknowledge how privileged he feels to have made the team.
“What you dream for, what you work for, the hours and hours of practice that you put in, the sacrifices you make, the compromises you put in, it gives you immense satisfaction when you wear that cap.”
“I was one of the few lucky ones, it is every cricket players dream in India to represent his country. I was lucky enough to have a family who actually supported me, because my dream was very unconventional for Indian families to actually allow their children to pursue a career in cricket."
“The most satisfying moment, was the day I got that cap. There are 29 states, where hundreds of thousands of people play cricket. I feel privileged and fortunate enough to be part of an Indian team and where I can wear that cap proudly, that’s my proudest moment.”
Nilish's international career got off the mark in impressive fashion. On the day of his first ever international test match, which happened to be against Sri Lanka, he got a wicket on his first bowl.
Nilish’s career could be compared to something of a fairytale. Playing with him since the tender age of 15 years, Nilish has always been a good friend of Sachin Tendilkar. Nilish then carried on to play alongside Sachin during his glory days.
“What Sachin did was a huge satisfaction and pleasure to millions of people; I don’t think you can find a better role model across any sport.”
“The way he has conducted his entire twenty four years of cricket and before that, for me that is a classic example of a perfect role model of a sportsman. The way he conducts himself, the way he approaches the game, the way he plays the game, the way he goes on to execute from his mistakes."
For Indian cricket players, with the enormous privilege comes enormous responsibility. Talking to people throughout India, you learn that cricketers aren’t seen as sporting legends or even role models.
“Your conduct on and off the field impacts the future generation.”
“In India, you’re as good as the current game or the next game.”
“Sport teaches you life. Sport teaches you discipline, sport teaches you education, sport teaches you how to accept failure and it teaches you leadership qualities."
“Sport helps you overcome challenges – accepting failure and bouncing back from the failure... because that will help you start brilliantly against all the adversities in your life."
For Nilish, his story was no different. He retired from international cricket in 2010 at the age of 37. But his glory days are not behind him, as a matter of fact, they are yet to come.
With the disciplines he learnt in his sporting career, Nilish continues to be an inspiration to all in India as he uses his cricketing prowess to write a new chapter in the pages of India’s sporting history. In only seven years Nilish has moved on to introducing India’s first sport’s management institute - IISM - at the University of Mumbai.
Due to the exceptionally competitive environment, most people are unable to represent India for cricket on the highest level. This program introduced by Nilesh still provides them the means to pursue their dream. With over 600 hundred students, the program has flourished within two years and this success is only expected to grow.
“Cricket unites the whole of India – whether you are talking about the poorest of the poor or the richest of the rich.I think the entirety of India is undoubtedly going to be the next big thing in sports.”