In Conversation - Everybody loves Anshul !!

I just noticed the blog hit a 100 posts. And who better to celebrate the milestone blog than with Anshul. Its impossible not to like the guy. Quintessential team man, chatter box, fun to hang with, fitness levels which are next level and on top of all this lets the bat do the talking thought his ballet dancer fielding needs a little improvement. 

Anhsul, we all want you to make maidaan a weekend job. Super fun seeing you become an integral part of cricket here. You are the glue that will keep the oldies in sync with all our rising stars till you get old and then the oldies will find someone else to banter with. 

Loved all your responses which were so you. 

1.How tough is it to be a father of a toddler and play cricket? 

Cricket has been a constant love of mine for as long as I can remember. I started playing at the Maidaan around mid-2022 — I still remember my debut match, running HK out and then batting through the rest of the innings. Then Neev came along, and cricket naturally slipped down the priority list for a couple of years. Thanks to Vicky and paying up my Rs 500 promptly every time, I managed to avoid getting kicked out of the group :)

These days, it's a real juggle — work, Neev, and other social commitments all competing for time. But over the last 3-4 months, I've made a conscious decision to play at least once a week, even if it means rearranging other plans to make it happen.

2.That knock you played a few months ago seems to have transformed you. There is a sudden sense of belonging and attitude that I see every time you stride into the maidaan these days. Is that true?

Definitely. Before that innings, I was too eager to make an impact and ended up putting a lot of pressure on myself. Not playing regularly at the maidaan didn’t help either. That knock gave me the confidence that I can contribute without changing much about my batting, or trying too hard to force things.

The sense of belonging to the maidaan was always there — it’s just good to now see myself contributing with some runs as well.

3.That brings me to another episode. Where you stood silently as someone took off on you for no apparent reason. Will you still stay quiet if that ever happens again?

For me, the maidaan is about cricket, friendships, and banter. Fights and arguments are part of the package, as long as we walk off the field as buddies at the end of it. I’m not someone who engages in confrontations — I’d probably just try extra hard to get the better of that person later in the match.

4.Have you started telling Neev about all your cricketing exploits or is he is still too raw to figure what you are upto on weekend mornings?

He knows that weekend mornings mean “Daddy playing cricket” and “Neev going shopping at Namdhari’s.” That’s set as a routine in his mind now. He doesn’t quite understand much beyond that just yet.

5.If you needed to get 15 off the last over, which bowler would you prefer facing and why? 

I’d say Dhruv, Apoorv, or Gopi sir. With their medium pace and slightly fuller length, I’d back myself to get those 15 runs — and then spend the rest of the day gloating about it on WhatsApp. :)

6. Why can’t you captain next season?

I haven’t earned my stripes yet. I’m still learning new maidaan rules every week, and my attendance isn’t quite there either. Also, watching Mohanty and Apoorv’s captaincy stints up close has made me a lot less keen for that honour.