Discussion on various topics is an integral part of my life
in my room. Very seldom there will be a span of 10-15 minutes when I and
Saransh will not discuss something, topics varying from sports, politics to
word-meanings and their usage. But this Sunday night was unusual. I was sitting
numb in my bed, and when I regained my senses, I found I had been staring at my
laptop screen for last so many minutes. I had lost the count of the time. Then
I looked at Saransh, he too was sitting quietly. In normal circumstances,
everyday he will pick some number and he will sing it and re-sing it throughout
the day, at times out of nowhere. But that night even his song had been lost.
Somewhere we both were feeling the same void that had just been created in our
life. Well, this is life I said to myself and prepared myself for the upcoming
struggle to move on.
I will
like to go back in past by some 16-17 years .Although I was a kid at that time
but this viral of cricket had arrested me too. By that time Sachin was a huge
figure in Indian cricket. Every now and then he will rip apart the bowling line
ups and outcome of a match largely depended on how he played. Rightly so,
almost all my friends were his fans, while rest of them did not take any
interest in cricket. I too admired Sachin but he was definitely not the one who
was my favorite. Today even after so many years I am unaware of the reason that
made Rahul Dravid my favorite batsman. I guess I was too young and immature
at that time to value the test cricket. But somehow Dravid had gained my
attention and for next 15 years, my admiration for him kept growing by many folds.
My friends used to tease me, mock me telling me how I can like someone as my
favorite batsman who could bat just at strike rate of 70 runs per 100 balls which
used to fall below 50 in test matches. At that time neither I felt the
necessity to answer them, neither I actually had any answer. Afterall their facts
were right and were in accordance with rest of the cricket community. As a result,
Rahul Dravid was discarded by most of the fans and the rulers of the game. But
Dravid had some other plans. He did not get bogged down by expulsions from the
team or from hearts of his fans. He kept working hard and harder. He still was
far away from getting close to Sachin in terms of stroke play but by that time
he had made his own identity and place in the team. Following years were the
best for Rahul as they witnessed the consolidation of Rahul-The Wall; a
Structure that will continue to support
Indian cricket for years to come.
Alongside Rahul, I too was fighting some battles of my own.
As a guy from a small village in Agra, I was struggling to fit in the city life
of Jalandhar. Jump from a Hindi medium school to an English medium school was
proving tough to cope with. Everynow and then my classmates would laugh at my
broken English or make fun of my appearance as I did not have a stylish hair
cut as they did or I did not have a car to race with their’s. Life was indeed
tough, needless to mention how much I was struggling in studies. Every now and
then I will try to take inspiration from Rahul’s life. I will try to recall how
people had discarded him, calling him unfit for shorter version of the game but
he never gave up. My challenges were different but Rahul’s spirit and willpower
was something that made me believe that I can also learn English, I can also fit in
city life, I can also improvise. Well, I did not end up being next Rahul Dravid,
but yeah this inspiration really helped me to grow.
Rahul had not just motivated just his fans but his team
mates too. His stint at Rajasthan Royals is an example of his ability to
influence his peers. From an 18 year old kid Sanju to a 41 year old veteran
Tambe, Rahul succeeded in harnessing the every single gram of talent they had
in them. It is indeed remarkable to hear that Sanju and Tambe were called for
trials, where the scouts of Rajasthan Royals alongwith Rahul saw some amazing
potential in these guys which rest of the teams could not. Result is in front
of us. We all have witnessed that how these lesser known players went on to
become huge success in CLT20. Not just this, with his demeanor and his conduct
on field, Rahul influenced his fans to an extent that people did not lose faith
in Rajasthan Royals despite four of their players being caught in spot fixing.
We all believed that since its Rahul’s team, sab theek he hoga! Going back to Sunday
night, it was so pleasing to hear people chanting his name while it was Sachin’s
last match too. Rahul always believed that he has nothing to prove to anyone.
He always answered to his inner self, something that set him apart. It’s true
that Rahul did not enjoy the fairytale ending that he deserved, but he will be
satisfied with the respect and love he has managed to accumulate, more than
that, he will be satisfied with his contribution to the team. For me, it’s been
an exhilarating journey following him, admiring him, adoring him. Thank you
Rahul for giving so much joy! New
legends will be born, the game will carry on, but the wall will always stand
tall!
