FREE HIT - An IPL 2020 talk show with Boria Majumdar: Wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel - video Dailymotion

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FREE HIT - An IPL 2020 talk show with Boria Majumdar: Wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel

Transcript

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.

FREE HIT - An IPL 2020 talk show with Boria Majumdar: Wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel

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