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Management Learnings from ‘The Hitman’- Rohit Sharma

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Captain Rohit Bhai

I earnestly believe that Team Sports at the highest levels provide a lot of learning for Corporate Management. There is no place to hide. It’s all out there happening in the open in an acutely competitive atmosphere. Goof-ups and crisis management; injuries and replacements; bonding and friction; Ups and downs; temperament and the Never Say Die spirit; leadership and rising up to the occasion; teamwork and collaboration; communication and defining roles; analytics and research; planning and execution. Hence my earlier blogs on ‘Management Lessons from Sports’, ‘The Gift of Captaincy’, and ‘Management Lessons from The Thala- MS Dhoni’- the last posted after CSK won a thrilling IPL final last year.

Rohit Sharma’s so-called laid-back demeanor hides the profound impact he has had both as a captain and batter for India and the IPL franchise. His affable, grounded, pragmatic approach has caught the attention of cricket pundits, cricketing legends, and cricket buffs all over the world. Some of the parallels with MSD are striking and The Thala’s influence is palpable. Rohit Sharma suddenly became the captain of Mumbai Indians in 2013 with Icons and seniors like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Harbhajan Singh, and Malinga in the squad. Anil Kumble, then associated with MI, remembers that he was completely unfazed and self-assured. Like MSD with the India captaincy, he gave the stalwarts Respect and Space and seamlessly aligned them for the Team’s cause. The Mumbai side picked up its first IPL trophy in 2013. It was also in the same year that Dhoni promoted this middle-order batter to open for India in the Champions Trophy and the rest is history. The Rohit Sharma- Shikhar Dhawan partnership. Dinesh Karthick ( w/k batsman) who was also part of the MI team has observed that the omission from India’s 2011 World Cup team shook him up and he developed the quiet, steely resolve to make every match and tournament count.

‘I have tried to keep it simple. One thing- clear communication to the players. I have tried to make sure that they understand their roles and that’s what it’s all about. Understanding their roles  and going out there and performing their roles.’ Another page out of MSD’s Captaincy manual. Sadly in the corporate sector, there are many employees, especially on the front line who do not understand their roles, contributions, and value to the team, office, or organization as a whole. The positive energy of team synergy and getting the bigger picture is missing. In the vertical or silo systems embraced by many Companies in the Service Sector, the sense of disengagement is even more pronounced and bureaucracy kicks in. Customer Service is the first casualty.

The unique Rohit-bhai takeaway is ‘that there has to be a sense of relaxation as well because it is important to keep the atmosphere light and cheerful’.  But this coin has not dropped with some at the senior levels of corporate hierarchy and even at Board levels. Employee productivity and performance spike if the work atmosphere and culture are congenial- leading to better results and a more robust balance sheet. Virat Kohli calls Rohit ‘the funniest person in the Indian dressing room.’ His tapori language (Mumbai street lingo) and chilled-out behavior are both endearing and calming. The super intense Kohli seems to be enjoying his cricket as never before, laughing and joking with the team.  No overweening egos, no insecurity, no camps. Reaching out and Bonding. The Hitman and The King are Bros for the Indian cricket mission. True, the stump-mic has caught the captain scolding and using cuss words with some team members on the field. But as Rohit Sharma simply puts it, ‘It’s not to hurt anyone. It’s just to make sure they are on the job and are thinking about the team.’ Other funny stump-mic comments have gone viral. In the third T-20 match against Afghanistan he got off the mark with a boundary down the leg-side but umpire Virendra Sharma signalled leg-byes. He approached the umpire with ‘Arrey Viru, thigh-pad diya kya? Bat laga tha. Already mere do zero ho gaya.’ (Did you give it as leg-byes. It hit the bat. In my previous 2 innings I have got ducks.). The Indian commentators in the box doubled up laughing.

Listen in to the Skipper’s report card ( on YouTube -Cricket Boy) on how the Men in Blue performed in their magnificent 4-1 Test win against an England team on a Bazball roll. First, the series-defining partnership by Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav at Ranchi. The emotions around Sarfaraz Khan winning his India cap at the Rajkot Test.  How many years earlier he had played with the father Naushad in the Kanga league. Jaiswal’s dominating double century at Vizag. Bumrah’s 6-wicket spell in the same Test- reverse swinging the ball on a flat track in hot and humid conditions. The best fast-bowling display he has witnessed in India. The ‘legend’ of Ashwin and the brilliant return of the match-winning Kuldeep Yadav. Appreciative mentions of Gill and Jadeja. Special mention of how much he has enjoyed playing with these passionate young cricketers. No mention of his captaincy except to say that he had learned many things during the series. No mention of missing the likes of Kohli, Rahul, Shami, and Pant in the team. When have you last heard of a Corporate Captain being so warm and fulsome in his praise for his team? Teams matter. Corporate heads are representative of their teams. When the team performs well, a generous amount of credit rubs off on the leader.

Rohit-Bhai has been the Big Brother or the ‘Go-to’ man even before he was appointed as captain. You will see his hand over the shoulder of a dejected Kuldeep Yadav who had a bad day at the office. According to Parthiv Patel, ‘Rohit whole-heartedly supports his players even when they are grappling with difficulties demonstrating an unwavering faith in their abilities. There is an unparalleled sense of calmness in the team.’ He then refers to the case of Bumrah brought in by the MI scouts in 2014. By 2015, the management was pondering to send him back after half of the season. But the captain staunchly believed in his abilities and in 2016, the journey of India’s premier fast bowler across formats began. Likewise, Hardik Pandya’s entry in 2015 and after a lack-luster 2016 season many at MI were showing him the exit door. Again, the leader supports the player giving Pandya the chance to become the player he is today. Very ironic, isn’t it? Considering the recent developments at the franchise.

The Captain has to be a good mentor to bring about the best in her/his team. This is a critical attribute to anyone at the Senior or Middle Management levels handling a sizable team. Companies and Institutions unfortunately do not factor in this ‘X’ factor in the KRA’s and Appraisals. It’s all about numbers. So a person with a 15-year innings pops up on the radar as a Cost to Company (CTC). What the team leader is quietly doing daily behind the scenes is overlooked- training and motivating the team, sharing experiences, developing a second line- all fall through the cracks. One of the most critical attributes of an effective Manager- mentoring- is simply shrugged off.

R Ashwin’s exit from Team India after the second day of the Rajkot Test tells a heart-warming story. .The Test match was evenly poised and with the series itself at stake we have Rohit Sharma and Coach Rahul Dravid persuading their main bowler to take the BCCI arranged charter flight to Chennai to attend to his ailing, hospitalised mother. The star spinner then re-joins the Men in Blue on the 4th day of the Test with his recovering mother insisting that her son not let down the national cricket team. Little wonder, that in an emotional video posted on his YouTube channel Ashwin says, ‘I would give my life for him on the field, that’s the kind of captain he is.’ We have an increasing treadmill corporate culture where leave applications for genuine reasons are frowned upon and even family time on weekends is being compromised.

Rohit Sharma has a sharp cricketing brain and reads the game well. Zaheer Khan has this to say, ‘Rohit acts according to the situation, and many times they are different from what may have been planned in the run-up to the game.’ In corporate life also at times long-term planning and rigid structures become constrictive and hold back the Company from changing course pragmatically, especially in dynamic market conditions. Plus the Cool factor he brings to play. Hence no panic buttons after the disappointing loss at Hyderabad from a position of strength. Instead, a determined come-back to dismantle Bazball. Astute handling of bowlers and smart field placements frustrated the English batters and they collapsed like a pack of cards multiple times in the Test series. Another important learning is how the India captain did not hesitate to pick on the brains of key players like Bumrah and Ashwin. A good leader should be open to ideas and suggestions from the core-group and resonating from the ground. The Ivory Tower syndrome has to be avoided at all costs.

Leadership is not bequeathed through job titles or the size of the corner office. Every Corporate leader or Manager worth her/his salt has to earn the respect and trust of the team members by setting the right example and by leading from the front. ‘The Hitman’ ticks all the boxes across all formats of the game. A Test batting average of 45+ over 59 Tests, more than 10,000 runs over 292 ODI, and a Strike Rate of 92; almost 4000 runs in 151 T-20s at a Strike Rate of almost 140 which puts him in the Sehwag league. He has scored hundreds and double hundreds; changed games with his sixes and fours and played many cameo knocks which have made a difference. In the ODI World Cup 2023, he was the second-highest run-getter after Virat Kohli (765 runs in 11 innings) with 597 runs in 11 knocks. Many cricket commentators have lauded his totally unselfish approach of providing a rollicking start to the India innings. The ICC named him as captain of the ICC World Cup team which had 6 Indian players.

The other wonderful dimension he has brought to the game as a batter is the sheer elegance and power he brings to the crease. King Kohli says that ‘he has never seen anyone time the ball like him.’ Kapil Dev captures his Master-Class batting as,’ attractive, effortless and with all the time in the world.’ Sachin Tendulkar has observed to the effect ‘that once Rohit gets into the zone, the poor bowler does not know where to bowl.’ After he made it to ‘The Wisden 5 cricketers of the Year-2022 along with Bumrah) an article in the Almanack celebrated his sublime stroke play and especially highlighted his pull, cover drive, and back-foot punch as perfection.

There is a select group of corporates who have kept their eye on the ball – not losing sight of the fundamentals, the processes, and especially the people. But others focus only on the top-line and bottom-line and pay scant attention to the growing void at the centre.

Back to the Rohit Sharma story. The man who took the Mumbai Indians to 5 IPL titles has been abruptly replaced by Hardik Pandya. The transition could have been handled with more grace and transparency. Instead, it smacks of board-room intrigue, disrespect to the man who has contributed so much to the franchise, and a lack of basic decency and sporting spirit. However, the break from the burdens of leadership can prove to be a blessing in disguise. Fortunately for us, he remains the captain of the Men in Blue for the ICC T 20 World Cup later this year and if he keeps his focus and form we may see the Last Hurrah from Captain Rohit-Bhai at the World Test championship in June next year.

The Inspiring Story of Rashid Khan

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Rashid Khan celebrating a wicket in his signature ‘airplane’ celebration

Afghanistan and Cricket!!  1935. Abdul Aziz Durani catches the eye of the Jamsaheb of Nawanagar with his wicket-keeping skills. He offers him a job as a sub-inspector and the Afghan family moves to Jamnagar with their one-year-old son born near the Khyber Pass in Afghanistan.  Salim Durani grows up to be the flamboyant Indian Test cricketer known for his big sixes.  He was born before his time. He would have taken to T20 cricket and the IPL like a duck to water. Sadly the great all-rounder passed away this April and the tributes and obituaries all highlighted his Afghan lineage.

In the 2019 ICC World Cup, the Afghanistan cricket team went winless in all 9 matches. But such is the soft power of sports and cricket that there were no bomb blasts or attacks on the day of the matches in the troubled nation.

Today the 24-year-old Rashid Khan is Afghanistan’s first global sporting superstar and cricketing icon. Born in eastern Afghanistan his family fled to Peshawar during some turbulent years of the Afghan war and even lived in the refugee camps. This is where the young boy picked up the game of cricket. After their return to their homeland, he continued to play the game but mostly with his 6 brothers. It was not till 2014 that Rashid who fancied himself as an opening batsman converted into a spin bowler. He taught himself through endless hours bowling on the concrete passageways, and then fields, and in the nets, in a country that had just become an affiliate member of the ICC when he was born. Today- the Afghan hero, IPL millionaire, and T20 smash hit- the Rashid Khan story is celebrated and savored by all cricket lovers.

Just 17, he made his debut for Afghanistan on the Zimbabwe cricket tour in October 2015. Just 2 years later he was picked up by SunRisers Hyderabad for $600,000 at the IPL auction. He then picked up franchise deals with the Guyana Amazon Warriors and helped the Adelaide Strikers to win their first BBL (Big Bash) title in 2018. He then also played in the PSL for the Quetta Gladiators and the Lahore Qalandars. Rashid Khan, without exaggeration, is the busiest cricketer in the world and a globe-trotter. He is invariably amongst the top wish-list of teams in big cricket leagues around the world. In 370 T20 matches, he has taken 500 wickets with an economy rate of 6.33, and sustaining these numbers across years, various leagues and oppositions, and playing conditions have been a remarkable achievement.  Many cricket pundits rate him as the best T20 bowler of all time.

 5 seasons with the Sunrisers in the IPL had led to a wicket haul of 93 wickets with an economy rate of 6.3. With the Gujarat Titans in 2022- 19 wickets and the IPL trophy. In 2023, 27 wickets and a loss in the finals to CSK. Listen to another great spinner Harbhajan Singh on Sports Today, “Rashid Khan is a great player from a different league.  He is picking up wickets in heaps, he is scoring runs, he is a gifted fielder, and he led GT whenever Captain Hardik was not available. He has done everything and excelled. GT is exceptionally lucky to have a player like Rashid Khan in their ranks.”

What is it that makes him such a great bowler? L Sivaramakrishnan has this to say, “He is an unorthodox leg-spinner. His arm action is so quick that he has to release the ball at the right moment. He is very accurate. His grip doesn’t change much for leg spin and googly. Because his grip is more like an off-spinner with a big gap between the index finger and middle finger, it allows him to bowl a better googly.”

Rashid himself said in an interview that he usually bowls between 90-91 kmph. That extra 5-6 kmph above the normal spinners is what harries the batter. ‘’Opposition batsman may know what is coming- they are just not sure what to do” (Wisden Cricket Monthly).  Ravi Bopana has acutely observed, “You can’t pick him from the hand. If you pick him from the pitch by the time you have worked out which way it’s going to turn it is too late for playing the big shot. You nudge him around. Finally, you try to take him down in the last over. That’s when he bags a couple of more wickets.”

Like most other world-class spinners more than half of his deliveries are on the good length and most of the remainder are just short of a good length. The batters don’t reach the pitch of the ball and the speed ensures that they don’t have time for the cut or the pull. His speed through the air is modeled on his idol Shahid Afridi while maintaining a stump-to-stump line.  Rashid’s biggest weapon and mind-game ploy is the lethally accurate googly and he has multiple variations in his arsenal. In the T20 format, the most effective method of dismissals is to control the runs and force the batter to take more risks. Rashid Khan knows how to keep the pressure lid on.

This self-taught genius has picked up some bowling tips from watching his idols Afridi and Anil Kumble on TV and video. But take a peek into the sheer dedication of the man- “I place bottle tops at different spots on the pitch and I bowl until I hit each one. It doesn’t matter how long it takes-1hr, 2hrs, 3 hrs, or only 5-6 balls. I have to hit every one of the bottle tops.” Is it surprising that he has airbrushed many a middling total to a match-winning one for his team?

Plus his ingrained discipline. In the 2017 IPL, he was given to eating unhealthy foods like biryani, bread, and sweets. He quickly made the switch to barbecues or grilled food with lots of salad. This has given him the fitness and strength to take on his punishing cricketing schedule. It has given him that extra energy to consistently bowl at 90+kmph and even touch 99-100 kmph at times. He has sheepishly confessed that he cheats for one meal a month; also that he is unable to eat if he does not do his regular workout.

In 2017, ICC declared him as the T20 Associated Player of the Year. His 96 T20 wickets in 2018 inspired the headline-‘Prodigy to Superstar’ (Wisden Cricket Almanac). Then, Rashid Khan was lauded as the ICC T20 player of the decade. Just before the ICC  T20 World Cup cricket legends like Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, and Mahela Jayawardene picked him amongst their top 5 players across teams. Yet, the young Afghan yearns to be the MVP (Most Valuable Player) in an IPL season.

There is more to him than just being a champion spinner. With the bat, he is capable of clearing the ropes in the slog overs. Over the years he has evolved into an extravagant, destructive lower-order batsman.  In his early teens, he had dreamt of being an opening batsman like his idol Sachin Tendulkar. As a fielder also he has been agile and focused, giving his all for the team.

In the history of IPL in India the most popular foreign players have been AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. Rashid Khan has now been embraced by Indian cricket fans as one of their own.  What adds to the aura of this young cricketer is his grounded approach; his close-knit family life with his 10 siblings and their families; the regular requests from his nephews and nieces that he shows them his ‘airplane celebration’ after taking a wicket; how his parents have taught him how to handle success and fame. As he himself puts it, “Money doesn’t give you good fame, good personality, good image. The only thing that gives you that is being humble. Being kind to everyone. Also if a fan asks for a photo and I ignore it, I don’t think I will be able to sleep. I never want to hurt someone’s feelings.” Small wonder that the spin maestro is so warmly welcomed by fans around the world.

Rashid Khan gives a lot of credit to his SunRisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman and Captain Kane Williamson for keeping him calm, positive, and focused. Referring to the latter he has said that he put his arms around my shoulder, “You just need to enjoy and keep smiling. That’s the only thing I want from you.  Doesn’t matter whatever the result at the end but I want you to be smiling on the ground.”

His former national team captain Asghar Afghan has this to say, “The one special thing about Rashid is that whenever Afghanistan wins any match, the dinner is on him. Everyone gathers in his room and all expenses are borne by him. He really has a very big heart. Irrespective of whether he has performed or not if we win he takes the initiative for treating us to dinner. Even the 12th man of our team prays that we win so that Rashid can treat us to dinner.”

The cricketing superstar is just 24 years old. His full name is Rashid Khan Arman. Arman is the male Persian name for ‘Wish’ and ‘Hope.’ In Turkish and Armenian it also means ‘God’s Man’.

Viv Richards- Masterclass

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As in other major sports, in cricket too success and failure is all too measurable. It is not only the fans and the experts but also the players who take an obsessive interest in statistics. Very rarely comes a cricketer who transcends numbers, who is beyond records. Say ‘Viv Richards’ and the stats, impressive as they are, fade into the background. The talk is all about his sheer brilliance and his swag. The profound influence he has had on redefining batsmanship and the game itself.

His impact on the teams he has represented has been phenomenal. For the Windies, Clive Lloyd was the father figure, the mentor, the captain. But it was Viv who became the talisman, the catalyst who turned a bunch of easy-going Calypso cricketers into the great West Indian teams from the late 70’s to the early 90’s. His aura on the field, his charisma at the crease and his dominating will to win embodied the Caribbean cricket revolution. Kallicharan, Greenidge, Haynes, Roberts, Holding all rode the waves of their talents and skills and realised themselves as champions.

Take the 1976 tour of England which transformed their cricket. Still hurting from the 5-1 thrashing Down-Under in 1975-76. Tony Greig, the England captain, said that he would make them ‘grovel’. Cricket lore has it that Richards checked out the meaning in the dictionary, “In other words he was going to have us down on our knees-begging for mercy. This was the greatest motivating speech the England captain could have given the West Indian team.” In 4 Tests he smashed 829 runs and the English team into submission. Helped by other impactful performances, it was a historic 3-0 win for Lloyd’s men.

Somerset, till the mid-70’s, were the laggards in county cricket. Enter Richards (+ Ian Botham). The county became the ODI team of the era with 5 trophies in 5 seasons. The Richards effect- instilling self- belief in small town players who had never possessed it before. At the fag-end of his career he signed up with Glamorgan, another struggling team and inspired them to a fairy tale win in the 1993 ODI Axa League title. The aroma of the daffodil win still lingers with the Welsh. Small wonder, that both the English counties have voted him as the best overseas player in a recent BBC sports poll.

Viv Richards- the man for the big occasions. In the inaugural edition of the World Cup finals in 1975, this live-wire fielder ran out Alan Turner and the Chappell brothers as the Windies became world champions. His 138 not out vs hosts England in ‘79 sealed a one-sided final with Collis King firing from the other end. It is widely acknowledged that the turning point in India’s great upset win in WC’ 83 was Kapil Dev’s superb catch to dismiss Richards (33 in 28 balls) just as he was moving into top gear.

In the 2 seasons of Kerry Packer’s World Series cricket against the world’s best bowlers on Aussie wickets he was the pick of the batsmen with 1200 plus runs at an average of 60. On the testing pitches of England and Australia he stamped his class as the best touring batsman of his time. His compatriot and fast bowling great Michael Holding sums it best, “Viv is the best batsman I have seen against anything and everything. He never got intimidated. Hadlee in New Zealand, Lillee in Australia, Qadir in Pakistan, Bedi in India, Botham in England. He got runs against anybody and everybody.”

There are runs and runs. Some runs count more than others for the team. Like the 189 not out at Old Trafford ’84, adding 106 runs for the last wicket and scoring 94 of those runs. Like the 61 not out in 36 balls against India at Sabina Park ‘83 to take his side to a dramatic win. The blistering 60 of 40 balls at the Benson & Hedges Cup final in Australia’ 88-89. Time and again he showed up to change the fortunes of a match, a series or a tournament.

His ability to play attacking cricket, improvise and control the game changed cricket itself. In the mid 70’s batting in Test matches was all about technique and temperament. Bill Lawry, Geoff Boycott and even Sunil Gavaskar were cast in this classic traditional mould. Runs came at a slowish pace with only the bad deliveries put away for four. Hitting the ball in the air was a cardinal sin, against the tenets of the game. There were stroke players like Kanhai and Sobers, Pataudi and Vishwanath, Gower and Ian Chappell who batted with flair and elegance and kept the score board ticking at a faster clip. However, Richards revolutionised the art of batting itself. His very presence at the crease unnerved bowlers. He captured the public imagination with his aggression and raw intent to tear apart the bowling attack. Let’s also not forget that he did this at a time where pitches were more challenging, boundaries were longer, fielding restrictions as of today were not there. He faced upto the fastest bowlers without wearing a helmet. Listen to Jeff Dujon, the Windies keeper-batsman, “He never wore a helmet but had the courage to hook the fastest of deliveries of his face. He never liked to be dominated.” His lightning hand-eye coordination, his flair in the middle and his remarkable performances all put together to make him a truly extraordinary batsman.

Dickie Bird, the famous English umpire, called him “A great character. There are very few left in sports.” Richards took swagger to another level. Scyld Berry, the well-known cricket writer, captures the persona,’ before anyone thought of the phrase, Viv Richards walked the walk. Head held high, jaw working his gum; the maroon cap- never, never the helmet and brandishing his choice of weapon- a Slazenger in his right hand. No choreographer equipped with spotlights and sound effects could have improved upon his entrance. Nobody batted like Richards either. His mental power and the awesomely muscular yet athletic 5’10’’ frame. By the second ball of a Viv Richards innings there were very few, if any, teams who did not recognise the Master in their midst.’

Who better to comment on the MAN than the great rival bowlers of the era. Bob Willis- “The best batsman by a mile. He had this fear factor about him. Even if you bowled a good ball, he could destroy you. He could win matches on his own.” Imran Khan talks about “This complete genius” with “amazing reflexes” who could destroy any attack. Jeff Thomson doffs his cap with his, “Nobody better than Viv” comment. His mate Dennis Lillee, “I just loved bowling to the man. It was such a challenge. I regarded him as one of the supreme players, if not the supreme player.” The great off-spinner Prasanna has called him, “One of the greatest of all time” and Bedi, Underwood and Qadir have all paid fulsome tributes.

The great batsmen peers have all saluted the Caribbean maestro. Gavaskar called his batting ‘Sensational’. Martin Crowe, “He walked out to own the stage.” Inzamam has it that Richards changed the very concept and idea of batting. He remains the ‘hero’ for Tendulkar and Kohli, Sehwag, Gilchrist and Jayasuriya.

The West Indian champion batter was a generation ahead, way ahead of his time. His 100 in 56 balls against England at Antigua ‘86 was only eclipsed by Brendon Mccullum’s century in 54 balls in 2016. Richards would have taken to the T20 format like a fish to water. Imagine the plight of bowlers the world over. Franchisees like the billionaire Mukesh Ambani would have rolled out the red carpet to get this most destructive of batsmen on board. With a blank cheque to write his price.

Hardly surprising that he makes every honour list in cricket. The Wisden’s top 5 cricketers of the last century. Amongst the best 5 Test batsmen ever. The finest ODI batsman in history. 31 man of the match awards in 187 matches at a strike rate of 90 tells its story. Strike rate on par with Kohli today. In 1994 he was knighted for his services to cricket by the Queen of England .(OBE). In 1999 his native Antigua and Barbuda conferred on him the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Nation. (KCN).

Some may remember that he refused to be a part of the rebel West Indies team to apartheid South Africa in 1983-84. Despite being repeatedly offered a blank cheque. Despite repeated calls from the SA President’s office. Despite the offer of being made an ‘honorary white man’, whatever that means. In the same vein he publicly thanked Ian Botham for always being in his corner and never turning his back on him when the Englishman received hate-mails during their shared apartment years at Taunton, Somerset.

The mettle of the man. In the WC’ 83 semi-final against Pakistan, Qadir deceived him with a googly but the catch was dropped at leg-slip. Richard’s 80 not out propelled his team into their third successive final. Whilst walking back, he approached  Qadir with a hand-shake and a, “Well bowled, Sir.’

After India’s disastrous 2007 WC, Tendulkar was planning to retire from cricket. The turmoil in Indian cricket (read Greg Chappell) plus his own inability to bat like the younger Sachin weighed on his mind. A 45 mins call with his ‘hero Viv’ changed all that. The West Indian urged him to continue as he still had a lot to give to Indian cricket. Become the Shaolin master- a mentor and inspiration for the younger guys.  The message resonated from one master to the other.

Watch any of his interviews or panel discussions on TV or You-tube. You see a grounded person, generous in his praise for his team-mates and rivals. Bob Willis called him a lovely person who left all his aggression on the field. His emotional eulogies for Abdul Qadir and Bob Willis after their passing in 2019 are touching. For him Gavaskar is the ‘Godfather’ of Indian cricket. He has high praise for Tendulkar and Lara, Dravid and Ponting, Kohli and AB and encouragement for youngsters like Bumrah and KL Rahul. Respect for Akram and Lillee, Bedi and ‘mystery man’ Chandra. He has humorously confessed to being a nervous wreck against our spin quartet on his debut tour of India in 1974. He could not read Chandrashekar at all. That the spinners took the new ball in the fourth over itself psyched him out.

Along with Andy Roberts he has changed the fortunes of Antigua and Barbuda. These had been relegated to forgotten backwaters after the exploitative sugarcane plantations were stopped in the mid ’50’s. Their fame brought international cricket to Antigua in 1981 and opened the doors for tourism. Today these islands attract around 3 lakh tourists annually, thrice the size of the population.

Viv Richards has founded the SVRF to promote education, sports and recreation and health. Thousands of locals have benefitted. He has used his stature and influence to persuade the Indian Manipal group to open its educational and medical facilities in Antigua. The colleges attract more than 100 Indian students every year.

Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is one of the very few sportsmen who have enriched their sport beyond measure. Federer in tennis, Jordan in basketball, Bolt in athletics, Messi in football.  Richards belongs to this exalted company- through his seminal influence and lasting impact on the evolution of cricket and enhancing its appeal-beyond measure.