A Cricketer's Tribulations

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB - for whom I also happen to write) are looking out for future players and have introduced 'Future Challengers'.  It's recruitment into the RCB team.

And out of the many entries, one entry certainly did catch the eye.  It had the following letter, in which the candidate explained his trials and tribulations as a cricketer and his life as a whole.
The letter is heart touching, and just shows the lives and reality of millions in India who dream of playing cricket.

The following is the letter*.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Hope this mail finds you in good comfort!

Please do not consider this as selection criteria, but felt as sharing this with you as this will be my last attempt to try for any Cricket Selections …. In fact I do not where to start and where to end this mail of mine.

This mail is about me, I am in my early 20`s now , I'm working as a Assistant in Bangalore .

In 1997 (age 13) I was in my 8th std ,during mid term test I couldn’t perform well in my exams and my dad was a very strict about my studies and if I couldn’t perform well I used get beatings from my dad always as he wanted me to score above 90 every time. Today I realize that all which he did was his love towards me to make me a better person. During my test I couldn’t perform well in 2 off my papers and after my exams my teacher wanted to meet my dad cause of my poor performance .With my fear I couldn’t tell this to my parents and I took a decision without even thinking about my future. I left my home ,my parents, my studies everything .   I was the only son for my parents.  I was 13 then (1997).  My journey started in Bangalore railway station ,I went everywhere - Chennai, Hydrabad, Nagpur, Lonavala, Pune...Mumbai...sleeping a good section in trains.

Finally I got tired and landed in Mumbai…yes Mumbai.  In Mumbai I went to an hotel in Pillohouse....started working there then started selling tea, cigarettes, on a cycle...worked in chowpaty in dosa stalls...you might think why I am telling you all these things..but...I don't know...

During this period I used to work for Rs.800 as my monthly salary in that hotel...I used to save all my money without spending on anything because I wanted to join Bengal cricket club in Dadar, where Sangam Lad sir use to be the coach. I came to know about this in a newspaper there where I used to read daily in fear thinking my photo might come up in papers... after 6 to 8 months I collected 4500 Rupees.  I paid sangam sir the money and stated playing for the club....my struggle went on....after some time Amir Chahcha passed away the hotel got closed and I was left homeless....I then went to agripada,which is near lower Parel....got a job in dosa stall....where I used to work and sleep on the table to luk after the stall which was there on footpath.  But my struggle and love for cricket never died.... I still remember one day, I didn't had money to get the train ticket from Mumbai central to Dadar and the previous day I had seen the conductor TT catching a person and handing him over police who was caught travelling without ticket ...having that fear I ran from Mumbai central to Dadar morning 4 o clock.

Years passed on and I kept on doing the same thing every day.  Morning practice, evening work in food stalls. Later Amith Bhate uncle from National Cricket Club in Oval Maidan told me to practice there and I started playing for national cricket club in 2003.  He also got me a job in a courier company .

And during the same year I was transfered to banaglore, may be by Gods wish...I came here wrote letter to my parents (after 7 yrs) that is something which I cannot express nor I can tell in words...it was as beautiful as it can get...I came to B'lore started working and I couldn't miss my routine even here....I joined Brijesh Patel Academy...Ananth sir was the coach then ( hope he still remembers me, Selector now for the state ), I used to play around Ganesh Satish, Amit Verma, Nikhil Kashap, … Ganesh and Amit are now playing for Karnataka and Nikhil for Bangalore Brigadiers.  (You might think that even though I got so many chances to play for so long why I haven't been a proper professional cricketer yet. As you read, every time I am in my peak of getting into teams I always had something else happening on the other side of my life which kept me pulling back from cricket)

By now I had realized my mistake which I made 13 years ago by leaving my studies, I then planned to continue my studies and got my Diploma in Web and Graphic Designing thru Aptech Academy. Started hunting for jobs as I had realized that I should settle and leave the cricket madness forever.

When I saw your message on twitter about playing for RCB, my body said YES got your chance, but my mind still says don’t repeat the same mistake. Coming to a happier note I just got married a month ago and leading a good married life. But I still pray to God.

“Give Me Some Sunshine, Give Me Some Rain,  Give Me Another Chance I Wanna Grow Up Once Again”

Please please keep me posted on any selections update and wish you good luck for your future.

Thanks for your time

Regards,

__________________________________________________________________________________
*The name has been removed due to the personal letter.
**The letter was bought to my knowledge by Nidhi@RCB - So thank you Nidhi@RCB.

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Posted in: cricket,India,IPL,My Life,RCB