Beyond the roaring stadiums, there are quieter reunions. There are invisible hands — groundsmen who prepared pitches at dawn, coaches who went the extra mile, family members who sacrificed silently, rickshaw-pullers who drove a young boy’s hopes. Meet the unknown faces who shaped champions, the guardians who helped them dream, and who now await the players they’ve known since childhood to star on the big stage.
While batting at his open net session one day, Suryakumar Yadav had just faced one ball before he decided to walk back towards the bowling crease. He had called over his friends who were all helping him regain his lost form. There was one simple question asked to each one and they had to give an open feedback on ‘why I’m not scoring runs’.
Lack of runs had become a mystery and was slowly getting onto his nerves. He never showed it but he was desperately looking for an answer.
Before heading into the New Zealand series, his poor form was a genuine concern. He had scored a mere 100 runs in 11 innings, below par for his standards. Though publicly, Surya told people that he was not out of form but out of runs, sometime in December, came a point when he was in two minds. His close friends with whom he had been training for more than a decade, knew that Surya was facing doubts and open suggestions were the need of the hour.
Three members of this WhatsApp group ‘Team Hardwork’ comprised current club-level cricketers Ankush Jaiswal, Siddhant Adhatrao and Parikshit Valsangkar, who offered their views. A throwdown specialist was summoned too.
“If you have seen him bat since the time he has made his debut, every time he takes the guard, you will see him hitting 6 or 4 on the first ball. This tradition happened for more than one and half years. People have that SKY in mind. I said he can take some time and then charge. So now he has started slow but has accelerated later on,” Jaiswal recalls.
Another close friend, Adhatrao, who most times is on the non-striker’s end when he is batting, is in charge of all his videos till date. He didn’t find much of a flaw. “Technically he was batting the same as he was doing over the years. I didn’t find anything off and we saw all his videos but didn’t see any change. My conclusion was sometimes it happens and this phase shall pass,” he pointed out.
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‘Team Hardwork’ however, knew what was running in Surya’s mind. It’s an unofficial think-tank which works constantly behind the scenes to make a player who he is. They are responsible for finding the right net bowlers, a decent throwdown regime and getting pitches prepared for upcoming tournaments.
Like before the New Zealand series, Jaiswal revealed how they looked for spinners in Mumbai who could bowl like Mitchell Santner and leggie Ish Sodi. And a tall throw down specialist who could imitate someone like Kyle Jamieson.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav emerged as the Player of the Series in the five-match T20Is against New Zealand. (AP Photo)
“We had prepared pitches according to conditions. Like even before going to the Asia Cup, we had prepared pitches which would behave like ones in Dubai. Different pitches for different venues. As I play club cricket, I asked around all of Mumbai, is there was any tall leg-spinner because Sodhi is tall, so we roped him in. We found a left-arm spinner. A tall pacer. Depending on the opposition, we planned,” Jaiswal added.
The group name has been changed to ‘Probables and Possibles’. It’s not only for Surya but for his team mates / pals too who are trying to find a way to reach their respective goals. They all are working towards a life of probable and possible success. Jaiswal is still trying to find a place in the Mumbai senior side while Adhatrao is trying to do well domestically for Pondicherry.
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On the dot
Surya loves to change group names but one thing is clear in the group that they all have to be punctual. If practice is at 2:30 pm then everyone has to reach Surya’s place by 2:20 pm. The car will depart on its time with no last boarding call options. If practice is at a remote place, Surya’s team will arrange a car and food for those giving throwdowns and net bowlers. Food will be served and quietly money will be transferred too for their services.
Surya, his wife Devisha (2nd from left), Parikshit Valsangkar (centre), Ankush Jaiswal (right) and Adhatrao (left).
One thing though has changed in the car, music is no longer retro or the current one. To everyone’s surprise Surya, who used to scold everyone for ‘bhakti geet’ is himself glued to it now. When nothing works, people do become spiritual and Surya was no exception. “The first thing he plays now is Hanuman Chalisa. I would have never imagined this four years ago but now it is a ritual. Whenever I used to play Ganpati aarti, he used to say, “abhi change kar bhai” (Do change it now). Look at him now, he knows more about gods than we know,” Adhatrao laughs.
The group has made it very clear, no shop talk back home, and cricket chatter is off the table. It’s only about life, investments and day to day issues of family life. Those who have known Surya for long recall his IPL days. Before coming to Mumbai Indians he was part of Kolkata Knight Riders where he shared the dressing room with some legends like Jacques Kallis. Adhatrao and Jaiswal recall how the Mumbai batter and India captain understood on the first day that if he needs to do well in life, he will need to have that ‘unorthodox X factor’.
Making of Mr 360
Post 2016, Surya began to invest in his cricket. Jaiswal said Surya bought a throwdown machine and then began the process of becoming a 360 degree player. Those were endless sessions where he practiced the sweep, the unorthodox shot behind the wicket. The Indian version of AB de Villiers took some time to master it all. He got hit several times, his thigh had marks of red but Surya was determined to achieve his goal.
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“Everyone saw his success, no one is watching the route he chooses. He comes with a plan for practice and he remains very focused on that. Once practice is over, Surya becomes a friend who will crack jokes,” Jaiswal added. His team also quietly tends to cricketers in need of any support. Be it gloves, shoes or cricketing kit or putting in a word to anyone. Surya has never said no to anyone, they say. Once a bowler was desperately looking for a job, Surya managed to use his clout to get a job for his net bowler.
There is another ‘LOL’ group where families of his close friends, which is now a mini family, are a part of. Every celebration will be celebrated together be it Diwali or birthday. It’s the group which keeps Surya grounded. Surya’s wife Devisha is in charge of it and her contribution is behind the scenes.
In late December when Surya had tried everything but was not finding success, he packed a kit bag and decided to lock it up. He wanted a break and told Devisha that now the kit bag will only open in the new year as he doesn’t want to take more pressure on himself.
With Surya rediscovering his form in the recently concluded New Zealand T20 series, his friends aren’t surprised. They all knew that it was a matter of time, he would find that sweet spot on his blade again.
So when Adhatrao missed his last fifty, while being preoccupied with his domestic game, Surya replied, “Bhai score big today. There was relief for those behind the scenes. Everytime he walks out to bat, it’s not just Surya, who is batting but behind him lies an abundance of hope and sweat, invested deeply in his success.
