FREE HIT - An IPL 2020 talk show with Boria Majumdar: Wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel
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00:00Parthiv, coming to your own game, how is that? How are you? How are you feeling?
00:03Six months you've not played, but when it actually hit bat on ball, how was that? Tell me about that.
00:14Hello and welcome to this very special edition of Free Hits, today with a very dear friend of
00:17mine, somebody who I've covered from his first tour. I was then a student, I've got to say this.
00:23He and I are almost one. He's 10 years or so younger, but we've had similar trajectories
00:29in terms of our professional careers. When I was finishing my PhD, he entered the Indian team.
00:34Then I practically covered him all his career. I mean, he's still a very young man and you
00:39tend to think he's already what, one and a half decades old in international cricket and
00:43for Indian cricket. Welcome Parthiv Patel. If anything one needs to learn from you,
00:48it's resilience. It's the commitment. It's the determination. And believe you me,
00:53that's something I really, really celebrate in you. So well done. And at these times,
00:58these are kind of qualities which will put us all in great step. But good to see you,
01:02Parthiv. How is this season shaping up? Thank you for this warm welcome. I don't know whether
01:08I'm worthy enough of deserving this, but thank you once again. Talking about the season,
01:14it's been very good here so far. We've had a very good camp and RCB has done really well
01:20to make sure that we are in a secure, viable and in a happy place as well. This point of time,
01:26there is only one thing. You talked about resilience, you talked about the smile and
01:32all of that. That's something which we've faced throughout these seven, eight months.
01:37And just to be happy to be on the ground and knowing that by just playing cricket,
01:44we will be able to provide a smile to the face of the world. That's the point,
01:50Parthiv, isn't it? I mean, the IPL is not simply about Virat or MS or anyone. It is about the
01:55optimism and the positivity that it will bring for a billion people. It is about you and me.
02:00It is about the players. It is about my profession as well or the groundsmen or the trainers or the
02:07technical staff or the broadcaster. The whole cricket industry depends on this tournament. So
02:12in that sense, it's great that the tournament is happening, isn't it? Absolutely. I think it's
02:17great for all of us, especially the domestic players, ground staff. And as you spoke about,
02:23the amount of work has been put in behind the scenes is unbelievable. As you rightly and
02:29correctly put that, IPL is a very, very big platform and a very big place from where a lot
02:38of people can earn their money. And I'm sure BCCI has done a great job in just making sure that
02:44we conduct a tournament. For me, the fact that this is happening, we were talking about numbers
02:49in India. We love our numbers. But we only talk about recoveries and cases and deaths,
02:54unfortunately, for the last six months. For God's sake, we want asking rates. We want
02:57sixes by Parthiv Patel. We want catches taken. We want wickets taken. We really want our sense
03:02of normalcy back, at least the new normal. Not everything is bad, for God's sake. So in that
03:07sense, I can't wait for this tournament. What's the kind of mood you are getting in the UAE
03:12Parthiv? Within your team, is everyone excited? Are people still apprehensive? What it's like?
03:17There is not a single amount, single percent of apprehension in our team at all. As I said,
03:23the vibe is brilliant. The way we've been taken care of, we feel extremely secure here in UAE
03:30because the kind of bubble has been created. You spoke about numbers and all of that. Yes,
03:35the kind of pandemic we all are going through, it's not going to get over soon. But it is very
03:42important that through playing cricket, if we could provide that message of staying safe,
03:48making sure that social distancing and sanitization and all of that is so important,
03:53it's in our hand. We got to make sure that we take right steps so that if we say that asking
04:00rate or a required rate comes down, and then in numbers, if you want to just relate to cricket
04:07the required run rate comes down. In that case, the COVID positive cases come down.
04:13In fact, Parthiv Patel, just to put it on record, walked into this interview wearing his mask.
04:18So that's how important it is for him. He's making a statement at every step. That's why he's
04:24important for you and me, ladies and gentlemen. He walked in with his mask. He's kept it by his
04:28side. That bio bubble is almost like a fortress. You can't reach it. Parthiv, your team has made
04:35a very interesting campaign and statement about supporting COVID heroes. Your thoughts on that?
04:39I'm very honored to be part of this campaign. I feel blessed that I'm playing for a side which
04:45has taken up this campaign, My COVID Heroes. It's unbelievable. I've had a first-hand experience
04:53at my home. My dad's been in a coma for one and a half years and we have a help
04:59at home for him. And his wife was pregnant and she was going to give birth but he didn't go
05:07because he thought that if he leaves the house and someone else comes in, so we don't know whether
05:12he'll have that infection or not. And he cannot take that chance with my dad being not well.
05:18Unfortunately, his child actually passed away in two days. He couldn't even see that. But he was
05:24so committed to the job. That's something that's changed my life. I asked him why are you doing
05:34this? And he's like, it's all karma. With God's grace, I will get another child but here I'm
05:40committed to this job and I have to make sure that I do it. And even while I was leaving
05:44house and he said only one thing, you don't worry about anything. You just go out there and play.
05:50I will take care of your dad. And then these are the heroes we should worship.
05:55I think these are the people who sacrifice their own life and that's something
06:00is very admirable. It's an unbelievable story. I mean, my heart goes out to that person and
06:07to every person who has fought like this with his or her life. Parthiv, coming to your own game,
06:12how's that shifting? How are you feeling? I mean, six months you've not played but when it
06:17actually hit that on ball, how was that? Tell me about that. It was brilliant. Actually,
06:22if I tell you, I like wicketkeeping more. For me, not catching the ball for six months and
06:30as soon as I started with hardball, I actually feel the difference that the hands are not
06:35softer. I have to start catching with tennis ball and then gradually go and do the hardball. And
06:40that sound of hitting the ball to bat is unbelievable. That sweet sound what you get.
06:45And I used to dream of those things. When will I be able to play cricket again? When will I
06:52wear all these pads and everything? And one of those days, I actually thought of
06:57wearing all my kit and going around in the house just to feel comfortable. Whether I'll
07:02be comfortable again wearing pads and helmet and all. We all like doing what we do. We love
07:07playing cricket and that's something which was missing in six, seven months. And I'm glad to
07:12be back on the field and glad to be in the shape I am. Overall, about team balance, it looks a
07:17better side to me, especially the inclusion of Adam Zampa, conditions like this, the kind of form
07:23he's in in that England-Australia series and your batting depth now, obviously. So overall,
07:29I think this is one of the better, if not the best RCB side in the last few years, Pats?
07:34To me, I think that's a great, great side. I think if you look at the options,
07:39there are only 11. We've got options, we've got replacements, we've got all-rounders in
07:44numbers. In Washington, Shivam Dubey, Chris Morris, Shabazz from Calcutta. And then there's
07:49someone, I think, a very exciting talent. Dev Dutt's there. He's done really well in domestic
07:55cricket. And the great inclusion of Zampa, understanding the situation. So I personally
08:00feel that this is going to be a very good season for us. Not only the personals we have, but the
08:04kind of atmosphere we are in. Everyone's so happy. When you walk around in the hotel or when we go
08:10in the bus, there's everyone smiling. There's always positive energy flowing around in the
08:14dressing room and on the ground, right from Virat to the last man who's there, the help we get.
08:22It's great energy.
08:23And your captain, obviously, is going into a new phase of his life. This will mean
08:27much if he wins this tournament. I mean, as a tournament, he'll celebrate his birthday on 5th
08:31November, would be father. In every sense, the world's coming together for Virat Kohli.
08:36I've never seen him so relaxed. He's so relaxed. He's enjoying his game, just
08:42talking to him off the field or on the field. He's into it. And I love the way, obviously,
08:48inspires a lot of people around in the team and in the world. But the way he's been moving
08:54around, he's so relaxed and then he's quite looking forward to the tournament.
08:58People keep talking about this, that with such a great side, you've not won it, you've not won it.
09:02Does it play at all on the minds of players or it's a new season? Forget what's happened.
09:08We will give it our best. Results not often in our hands, but in terms of preparation,
09:12we've done our best.
09:13That's the mindset which everybody should have. And we have that. You can't carry the baggage
09:19of last 12 IPLs or last year. It's something never going to help us. So that's something
09:24we are not thinking of at all. What we will be doing is, we can just be prepared for this
09:30new season. It is in our hand. Try and make sure that we do the process right. And that's
09:36something we've been doing. And as I said, we're quite positive. We've done our preparations
09:40right. We've done the process right. And we are quite positive. So it's not only double P,
09:46it's triple P. We've been ready. And hopefully, this is the year for us.
09:50Fingers crossed, it is. And when that shot from Parthiv Patel lands in the gallery,
09:56or when that catch goes into your hands, I'll celebrate. I will celebrate, as I said,
10:00for the resilience, commitment and determination that you bring on the field. That's what is
10:04necessary in this day and age. Thank you very much, Parthiv Patel. You've been a rock star.
10:08For me, as I keep saying, more people like you on the cricket field will mean more people get
10:15inspired. That's what is important in this day and age, when a smile matters to every individual
10:21in India. Thank you very, very much, Parthiv, for speaking to me. Thank you, Muriela.