Dear Indian Fan,
Firstly, thank you for the tremendous support that all of
you have shown me and the team. Such strong support has been unprecedented for
any losing captain. It was well worth the few tears I shed that memorable day.
Now I am back at home in Ranchi. Things remain the same but
they have changed too.
Oh, my sweet little daughter. So innocent and pure. One day she will know that while she was taking in her first sights, her papa was just one “batsman who can handle a little pressure” short of reaching a World cup final. I must admit I am a little worried of her growing up and finding out about the “Media”, be it social, anti-social, mass, niche or whatever.
My wife has completely refused to come to any match that I
play in from now on unless I give an absolute guarantee I will not get out. Explaining
to her that I am no Kohli and am allowed to fail once in a while with the bat
has not helped. She has been spending too much time on twitter I guess. Must be
the pregnancy. Anyways it’s a good decision on her part. My little daughter
might be saved from a few bad habits.
My three dogs that used to bite and bark at me whether I win
or lose have mellowed down. It seems they have sensed that India can be a
dangerous place for dogs that bark for no rhyme or reason, especially on TV. Some
dogs do listen to public opinion it seems.
My father-in-law wants to know when I will retire. When I
asked him what he would prefer, he was silent. He is a true cricket fan, will
wait for the announcement to support the exact opposite. I tried telling him
that I am only 33 but he made it sound like I am 55.
My mechanic is sure that I would have won India the match if
I had not gotten run-out. But then, he is also sure that Kohli’s problem is his
girlfriend and Raina’s problem is the lack of a girlfriend. Go figure.
It’s such a relief to be around my bikes. Luckily for my
security detail I live in Ranchi. Here their Bajaj Pulsars can keep up with my
Harleys due to the condition of the roads. Life is a great leveler.
That’s all folks. I shall post a tweet or two soon just to
make sure the fire keeps burning.
Thank you once again.
