On March 4, India sauntered into the Champions Trophy semi-final. Virat Kohli anchored the chase and there was support around him, from Shreyas Iyer to KL Rahul, and Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya. India went past Australia’s total of 264 without any hiccups. From a personal point of view, that was exactly what this humble hack wanted.
With a 2 am (Dubai time) flight to catch, a twist in the tale could have queered the match-report pitch. It wasn’t desirable. So, thanks are due to the Indian team and their collective effort. At the post-match press conference, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, fired on all cylinders, providing enough spice for the second copy.
Stories done, time to say au revoir to my journalist friends. The common question was, “wouldn’t you be covering the final”? The answer was simple, I had to attend Trailblazers 3.0, for the Conclave defines RevSportz. And no way was I going to miss that. Hugs exchanged, good wishes galore in the kitty, the next destination was the Dubai airport, where the entire process was very smooth. All sorted, a message popped up on WhatsApp: “Safe flight.” It was from my Editor-in-Chief Boria Majumdar. It was 2.30 am India time, but that’s how it has been between us – brotherly.
Conclave time – Gukesh, Zomato and Rosogolla
The Conclave got a roaring start on March 6, with Manu Bhaker wowing the audience in the inaugural session and Cheteshwar Pujara keeping them engrossed in the second. Around 8 in the evening, D Gukesh checked in, looking a bit lost without his father, Dr Rajinikanth, who couldn’t accompany his ward due to some prior commitments. The dinner was laid out, but the shy and unassuming world chess champion wasn’t to be seen at the dining area. He was in his room instead, ordering his food on Zomato. It took a bit of persuasion to bring him to the dining hall and as expected, he instantly became the showstopper. Gukesh still prefers to keep the limelight at arm’s length, knowing full well that it’s now an exercise in futility. At the dinner, the teenager fell for Kolkata’s Rosogolla.
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A session dedicated to Padmakar Shivalkar
The idea suddenly came to mind. The session was with Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer – a cricket session – and how about dedicating it to Padmakar Shivalkar, a domestic cricket stalwart, who had left us only a few days earlier. Shivalkar, a left-arm spinner, took 589 wickets from 124 first-class matches. But he never played for India because he played the game at the wrong time. Bishan Singh Bedi, the master, towered over the rest in the late 1960s and ‘70s and that was that for the other aspirants like Shivalkar and Rajinder Goel. RevSportz celebrated the present and the future, while honouring the past. As the session started, Iyer had the audience in stitches as he spoke about how difficult it was to make Gambhir – KKR’s erstwhile mentor – smile.
Sourav and Sana
“Don’t send your daughter abroad,” Sourav Ganguly said tongue firmly ensconced in cheek. After graduating from Oxford University, Sana has now started her work life in London, too busy to return calls from her father, the former India captain said in mock frustration. “I call her and they go unanswered. And then around, 12.30 am our time, when I’m fast asleep, a message comes, saying: I was very tied up. Will call you tomorrow.” The moral of the story, as advised by Sourav: “Our city has some excellent universities. Don’t let your child go away from you.”
Goosebumps moment
Payal Nag, the quadruple-amputee archer, took a little bit of time to set herself up before firing the arrow. It hit the bull’s-eye. The whole thing took a few moments to sink in before the entire hall stood up to applaud a special athlete. Ganguly called her an “inspiration”, as he felicitated Payal. Sagar Daryani, founder of Wow Momo, announced on stage that his company would support the archer who is aiming for a gold medal in the next Paralympics. This is what RevSportz’s Conclave can do. It can change lives.
Also Read: From Zoom Mayhem to Clean Suit Confessions: My Conclave Caper
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