The Never Ending Love for Dada & The Story of How I Met Him

'Life and Destiny' will always have something in store for all of us. Its always important to hang on to what we love doing the most and worry little less about any immediate positive outcomes. As long as you hold on to it with all your heart, the results will follow.

This is what comes to my mind when I sit back and look at what happened on this very same day a year back. Though all that I dreamt over the last decade or so was to meet him in person, I never thought this day would come. I have had epic failed encounters of trying to meet him. I have seen him at a close distance but as they would say, When you are at a distance seeing and praying to the almighty, you are bound to be in a devotional prayer mood but just when the queue gets moving and you get closer, you are frozen, you just cant take your eyes of the almighty and it will take a few seconds for you to come back to the real world. That's what has happened to me over the years. I have to be very honest here, I never really had any courage to take that one extra yard to go say, 'Hello to him'. 

This man needs no introduction and If you know me well, you would by-heart know who he is. For those who don't, It was on the same day last year, I met my Idol(GOD) Sourav Ganguly. 

To begin with, It was the IPL time and I should thank My stars and the Delhi Capitals Management that Dada finally got an opportunity to be in Chennai. It was Thursday. Ashok ( My Identical Twin ) has good experience of doing this whenever Sachin was in town, so we decided that we would go to the hotel and give ourselves a good chance of meeting him. It was Match day and it was a 8 PM game. We knew for sure that Dada would come down for a team Meeting or someway or the other. We passed through the entry point of this star hotel and waited at one of its lobbies. It was around 2 PM in the afternoon. We were seated in the sofa and every-time we would see someone pass-by in Blue Colors, we would get excited. There was a corridor the other way and We decided to take turns to stand there and look for anyone who even remotely resembled Dada.. 

Time kept running and it was almost 4 PM. We knew the players would get ready and will leave around 5.30. We had an eye on the Instagram Page of the Delhi Capitals as well. We knew for sure once they start leaving the hotel they would LIVE stream it on Instagram. We rushed to the other entrance (There are quite a few) just to see if we got lucky. There was literally pin drop silence and we never spotted anyone in blue. We went back to the same place where we waited at first. A tall lad dressed up in the DC jersey with a bat in hand went past us. It was their captain Shreyas Iyer. We were thrilled, we knew Dada had to come that way. I as always, started getting nervous, My palm was all wet and it started shivering. It was almost 5.15 and we were on our toes ready to rush to the other entrance just in case the team left through the other entrance. I double checked to ensure the Notifications on the Instagram Page for DC was turned on.

We constantly kept an eye on the door to the left of us to see if the Team bus arrived. There were no signs of it. I was panicked. All of sudden in a few minutes, DC started LIVE Stream of the team getting into the bus. I was shattered. We ran to the other entrance but by the time we reached it was too late, they had enough securities deployed and we are in no touching distance. We could only see Dada moving away from us via the LIVE Stream. I literally had tears in my eyes. I was devastated. We saw the bus leave and there it was, yet another failed attempt of getting to meet him. It was 6 PM and we left home. 

DC were playing well last year and I was hoping if they could beat CSK in Chennai, they would all be in a happy mood and my chances of meeting him will be more brighter. If I remember it right, if DC had won that game they would have come back to Chennai on the 7th for Qualifier 1 ( They would have made it to top 2) . So there was a thought in mind, if not on 2nd there is always another opportunity on the 7th but I wasn't willing to take that risk. I was anxiously watching the game as if Dada played it in and I was rooting for them big time. To my dismay, DC ended on the losing side that day. Their chance of playing in Chennai again depended on other results. So it left me with no option but to rush to the hotel again. We reached there around 11.30 PM. 

This time around, we did not make the mistake of waiting at the other lobby instead we stood right where they left from earlier in the evening. So much anxiety, nervousness yet again. The team bus arrived and the heart rate started pumping. Prithvi Shaw walked in calmly. Punter followed him next. They went past us. All of a sudden we heard so much noise of people getting all excited and there he was, 'Dada walked in' and there were close to 10 people ( Teenagers wanting an autograph. No idea where they came from ). It caused a big chaos over there and all this happened some 100 metres away from us. We stood near the lobby lift. 

Dada was just there right in front of me. He walked past me, I went closer to him and all that I said was, 'Da......Da.....' Nothing else came out. The Hotel Manager stopped us from getting anywhere closer to him, I stammered like never before. Dada got into the lift and he went up. There were bouncers deployed to ensure they had full protection and safety. I went up to one of them and pleaded him, 'Anna, Please let me in. This is my only chance of meeting him. I literally begged' 

I think that Day, there was a god sent man amongst them. He came to us and asked us to take the other lift and head over to the restaurant where the team had Dinner. He gave us the name. If not for him, we would not have gone up. He is a local resident of Chennai and he told us all this in Tamil. I am so indebted to him ( Anna, If you are reading this. I am thankful to you )

We took the lift and we went up. The place was restricted and there stood the manager of the hotel who stopped us at an earlier instance. He politely asked us to leave but it was our only chance so we never moved an inch. A guy from the DC Management walked in to check, we told him the reason as to why we are waiting for. He asked the manager to wait for a while so that he can go check with Dada. I am not a BP patient but I am sure it shoot up to more than normal for that brief period of time. If the bouncer Anna was the God sent guy No 1, this person from the DC Management was God sent guy No 2. He came back smiling saying Dada asked you to wait here ( If you're reading this, Thank you Sir ). Till date, I never felt anything like that. The drastic graph pattern of your mind being all nervous one second to reaching the eternity. All relieved, We sat down on a table outside. 

It wasn't over. The nervousness had only begun. My mind was fully occupied with what do I tell Dada, when I meet him first. Where do I begin with. I kept torturing Ashok big time. I had the laptop turned on with the blog that I created for Dada. 

Rishab Pant, Rabada, Kaif - All of them walked past us and I was literally waiting for Dada to step out. I had my Self Introduction speech prepared as well. I was all ready, we felt some jitters around and there he was in his Delhi Capitals Jersey with a Cap and his trademark Glasses with a bag one sided. Good things happen not without its fair share of obstacles. We saw a group of guys rushing towards Dada to get his autograph, I was taken back, I thought that's the end of it. I was going to rip them apart if I am not allowed to meet him. I went closer to Dada and told him,

 'Hi Dada Hi Dada ( With Fear ), You asked us to wait'

Nervous moments, Anxiously waiting to hear what Dada would respond, He told the Hotel Management, 

'I would like to spend 10/15 minutes with them'

Was this a Dream ? Was it for Real ? Dada started walking and there I walked alongside him like a bodyguard. We went in and he sat on a chair and asked for our names. 

I introduced myself as Arun Raghavan and I told him I have a blog dedicated just for him with over 1 Million page views. I showed him the story of how I created an article that looked back at how Sana celebrated her birthday over the years. It had in-depth information and pictures alongside. He looked at it and exclaimed, 'Ah !! This is Lovely' with his trademark smile. 

Sana's Birthday Article

I also showed him a few other articles from the blog. Scrolled through it quickly. I had so many thoughts in my mind when I was doing all this, the laptop's battery shouldn't dry out, the hotspot Wi-Fi should work just fine. Thankfully there was no trouble with any of it. 

The checklist  - Ended up only showing 2 from the list

Next up were the huge archive library that I had built over the years for Dada. 45 GB of just Dada videos and collection's. Commentary/Batting/Bowling/Analysis - You name any, I had it. I played him one of his rare interview's from 96 and he was overjoyed. He then asked me for a bowling spell from 97 and luckily I had it with me, showed him that as well. He was all smiles looking at it.

Dada - All Smiles

Exact words from Dada when he was seeing all that, 

" Wonderful, Wonderful !!!

Why didn't we meet all these years !! "

The failed attempts, the sadness of having waited for more than 10 years for this day, the fear, the nervousness - Everything went away just like that. What more you need in life. You meet your idol and he tells you this. 

I showed him the India Jersey that I had with his name on the back of it. I told him if at all I wore an India Jersey it will only be with his name on it. He signed it for me. We took a photo with Dada. 

Close to My Heart

 

Blog Page

I got my Blog Page signed with his autograph on it. I gifted him a pen drive with 45 GB of all the content that I had of him. I was getting my things packed, I stood up and Dada said,

'Hopefully we make it to Qualifier 1 and come the 7th, we shall meet again. Do come'

It literally got me so emotionally. I was over the moon. Thanked Dada for his time and told him I I love him. Wished him luck for the remainder of the tournament. 

To be Framed - (I am the one the right) 

We came out and I was frozen. I could not believe what just happened. It was 2 AM(2nd of May), who will I go tell this to? Should I shout out loud ? All these thoughts came to my mind. Ashok knew the importance of making this moment count, so he took some good pictures of Dada and Me interacting. We got back home and I did not sleep until 5 AM. Writing this feels as if I took a time machine to look-back to when all this happened.

Moments that Matter

One big thing that I learnt that night, If I had a 100 reasons to Love him before meeting him, he just gave me a 1000 more to love him even stronger. The day and the meeting helped me immensely get over a tough time. It was a month before my wedding and it gave me the much needed energy to look forward to life with full of josh and happiness. 

The Kick & the energy of meeting Dada did not end there, A few days later, I had my pre-wedding photo shoot planned and as destiny would pan out, I was to get married to a girl who happens to be as big a fan of Dada as I am. We decided to take our first big step and we had wedding invitations designed 'Dada Themed' with the following written on it, 

' Like Dada, We are all set to kick-start our New Innings in June. He did it on the 22nd and we are doing it a week early on the 14th.  Perhaps for the very first time, the 1st Love of both the Groom and the Bride happens to be the same person and that in case of us happens to be Dada. Its

a very special beginning as we are all set to walk out of the Pavilion to script the best partnership ever '

Dada Themed - Pre-Wedding Photoshoot/Invitation 

We are living in a very tough time right now, I wanted to write this to tell all of us not to lose hope, lets have a belief that things will eventually work out and we will indeed have the smile back on all our faces. 

Love You Dada,
Forever your Biggest Fan

P.S - I sincerely hope Dada sees this and remembers me when I meet him the next time. 

Bike Thatha & Pattu Paati - The BEST irreplaceable Grandparents

It's been over 5 months since I wrote my first blog. The first one was about Dada and by gods grace it was well received. I wasn't keen on writing the next one anytime soon. I was certain that whatever I write should be from within and should not be just for the sake of it. 

My cousin got married last month and around that time a few incidents made me realize that life is not only about spending time with friends, hanging out with them and passing time watching movies. It is also about spending quality time with your grandparents which can give you unmatched satisfaction and joy. Whatever I am in life today, I owe it to them. I come from a big joint family. I have always been showered with unprecedented love and affection. I have a twin brother Ashok. They treat both of us in a manner that literally makes us yearn for their love. 

We fondly address our Grandfather as "Bike Thatha" because he used to ride a TVS bike when we were young and thereby we started calling him that. We fondly call our grandmother "Pattu Paati" because she addresses us as "Pattu" which means "My Dear" in English and so we started calling her that. We got addicted to cricket at a very young age like every other boy in the country. My grandfather is a huge cricket fanatic, so he used to give us all insights and updates on the game and that's how the love for the game began. Back home when i was 10, we had this habit of playing cricket around 4'o clock in the evening on weekends. My grandfather wakes up around 4 after a short nap and the first thing he does after he comes downstairs is to look for us. He comes and he bowls under arm to both us. He was quick and it was difficult to tackle his under arm bowling. It gradually became a regular practice to play cricket with him. On the other hand my grandmother was officially our care taker when playing cricket. She used to feed us with snacks and soft drinks. She also used to carry a towel with her and whenever she found us sweating, she came running to help us out. People talk about how great Mother Teresa was. About her patience, the kind of affection and love she showered on people. I see it all in my grandma, I swear. Myself and Ashok, We lose temper at times and we shout at her ( For no fault of hers ), she will come back to us with a smiling face the very next moment. As I write this I am feeling very emotional about how badly I regret not big able to spend much time with them nowadays. 

My grandfather is a retired government officer and my grandmother is a retired defence personnel. Right from my childhood they made sure we watched more English news channels as compared to the regional ones. Thank you Bike and Pattu, If not for you both I won't be here writing this blog in English. I am not showing off here tying to glorify my writing or communication skills. I am not sure where i would have been if not for their sincere effort to push us at a very young age to learn and communicate in English. 

Since we were more interested in cricket. We developed this habit of collecting newspaper stories about cricketers and compiling them as a booklet. It all started during the 2003 cricket world cup. Match reports, pictures and scorecards of matches, we compiled all of it. Even if we miss out on a particular match or if we had to go to school, my grandmother would step in and she would ensure that the booklet is complete covering each and every match. I still have that booklet with me. Ashok has a book exclusively for Sachin and I have a one exclusively that covers Team India under Ganguly. In addition to Cricket we also collected articles and pictures on Tennis as well. For nearly 2 years we collected newspaper stories of all the cricket matches India played back then. Here are a few pictures of the booklet. 

Fond Memories

Both myself and Ashok were just above average students and we were always expected to score more. On every result day, when we reach home, Grandparents would treat us as if we topped the class. They would give us chocolates, talk proudly of us. They made us feel very happy. These little things motivated us. Time flew and the care and love scaled greater heights every passing year. We were in class 10 and we went for mathematics tuition at a place nearby. Grandparents used to go for walking daily. After we joined the tuition they changed their walking route and they would come for a walk nearby the tuition center just to see us. Mostly they would come around the time the tuition got over so that the four of us can go home together. Be it 10th or 12th they stood by our side though we didn't score much. They would take our side saying we tried our best and they would put the blame on the evaluators for being very strict.

We got into a college 40 kms away from where we reside. We didn't opt for the college bus so the transportation was not available doorstep. The bus stop was a KM away. In mornings Dad would drop us at the bus stop and in the evenings Dad wouldn't available so we had to walk. Considering the fact that we would be exhausted after a tiring day at the college, My grandparents would bring a bicycle alongside them to the bus stop. They would handover the bicycle to us and then would ask us to go home and they would go for a walk and will return back home walking. Being old, they could have just opted to just stay back home but instead they chose the harder one. I swear if I was them I would have definitely not done that on a regular basis. 

For 22 years we were with them together as one big family. In 2014, I had to relocate to Chennai for a living. It was a very difficult decision to leave elders home. Ashok had 1 year of college left when I moved to Chennai. So I was happy that atleast Ashok was there with them. I moved to Chennai and I stayed at my cousins place. After a year it was Ashok's turn to move to Chennai and it was more difficult for them because both of us relocated to Chennai. Mom had to move to Chennai alongside Ashok to take care of both of us and it was left to my Dad alone to take care of grandparents back home. So we were split up into two families, one back home in Trichy and the other in Chennai. Though my grandparents had Dad, Aunt and Sister in law for company they felt lonely without us and we were able to realize it. How we wish all of us got jobs at our respective cities so that each of us can get to be with our families. 

In 2015, We celebrated Grandfather's 80th birthday in Chennai in a very grand manner. Each and every one in the family took part in it and it was a memorable occasion. Back in 2002 during my grandmother's retirement felicitation function we cousins ( 6 of us ) took a group picture with grandparents and we decided that the same 6 of us would take a similar picture during the big birthday celebration. This is a picture that is very close to our heart and we have even framed it. 

A Picture that we will cherish forever

My Dad who was taking care of my grandparents had to relocate to Tirunelveli. More than anyone in the family he was very disappointed with the fact that he is leaving them alone. Around that time I was working in night shifts and I was not able to go home very frequently. The Chennai floods came along and it made life very difficult for them as they were not able to reach out to us. Later they were relieved to know that we were safe and at the same time they wanted us to relocate back to Trichy like the good old days. We were just figuring out a way to visit them more and to spend more time with them. 

In Feb 2016, My Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary was round the corner so we were looking out for something very special and unique to gift them. I have a very good friend in Hyderabad who came up with a wonderful suggestion to present them with a Tab. We were thrilled with the idea. My grandparents never had any prior experience of using a gadget. In fact whenever i see people in my family talk of Whatsapp and Facebook, I can see the eagerness to learn on their faces. So it turned out to be a great surprise. They loved it. Trust me, their world has completely changed now and they have become so addicted to it. The first comment or a feedback I receive every time i put up a picture on Whatsapp is from my Grandmother. My grandfather uses Cricbuzz to keep track of all updates in the cricketing world. He even uses IRCTC to check train and ticket availability. I often talk to them on a video call nowadays. An APP called IMO is their hot favorite now. Very delighted to see them use gadgets with ease.

Their New World 

Please teach your grandparents to use gadgets, their world will change and they will enjoy the new experience. Whenever I visit them I feel very bad that I have left them alone. That is what sparked me to write this. I want the world to know how great my grandparents are and how you should be when you become one. They are a role model. Grandparents are gods gift to us and we should Visit, Love, celebrate and cherish them when they are around rather than feeling bad and regretting for things that you failed to do when they were around. I am sure that my Grandparents will read this blog and I take this platform to apologize to them for not being able to come and meet them very often and I assure that I will come and meet them often henceforth.

Love you Thatha & Paati

The Return of My Childhood - Thank You Dada

Here I am with my blog finally. It's been on my mind for a long time but I didn't really have any content to begin with. I was always certain that my first post should be about something that I love the most and it should be from the heart. The thing that I love the most in this world is my family and then there is someone whom I equally love the most. He is someone whom I always look upto for inspiration, determination and self confidence. Everyone in my family knows about the unmatched love and fondness I have for him. Everytime there is an update on him in the media, the first call or a message that I receive is either from my grandma or from my dad. They are the first ones to keep me updated on the happenings. I am so proud to be from a family that is so supportive of whatever I do. Just because I love him so much they take that extra effort to keep me well informed so that I will feel happy about it. 

I am sure all of you would have guessed by now as to whom I am talking about, Yes, indeed it is the one and only Sourav Ganguly. Nothing in life gives me more satisfaction and joy than getting to see him on the field. That is how it has been for the past few days. Elated and Overjoyed. 

It was in Mid October, the news of Dada playing this tournament was doing rounds. Even Dada wasn't sure because of Mr. Dalmiya's sudden demise. Fans were confused as to whether or not he will play. I was a bit disappointed, as this was the only chance we can see him play again. Hardly a week left for the tournament to begin and it was certain that he wont play. I was getting ready for office as always. It was on the 2nd of November around 7 in the night, I got a call from my twin brother Ashok asking me to switch on Headlines Today immediately and that there was a surprise waiting for me. I almost got out of the house while I was on a call, rushed back to see as to what it was. 

I just couldn't believe what I witnessed, Dada was all padded up in the nets and was in conversation with Mr.Boria Majumder talking about the preparations for the Cricket All Stars T20. I was over the moon, so happy. Yet again another one from my family broke the news. 

( A Pic that I captured on my mobile just to share the excitement with all my friends )

For the next few days all that I was looking forward was to see some pictures and watch videos of Dada at the nets. Like the good old days I got very excited looking at each and every one of them. For me Dada has the most passionate fanatics for any sportsperson in the country. I am sure many would echo my opinion. 

Dada is back!!Cricket All Stars #XtraTime
Posted by XtraTime on Wednesday, 4 November 2015

Dada left for US on the 9th for the 2nd and 3rd game. Even though Dada didn't play the first game fans were in full flow at Citifield, NY with Banners of Dada. Here are a few from the first game. 

( At Citifield, NY )

I always have this habit of taping all matches/videos of Dada and keeping it as an archive, right from his early cricket days to the current ones. I have over 50 GB of Dada videos in my archive now. I was eagerly looking forward to tape this as well. 

Houston - November 12 : The day finally arrived. It was a holiday for me. Normally I wake up around 7 in the morning during holidays. The nervousness before the start of the game began very early at 3am. I was awake and was lying on bed thinking as to how much will Dada score and will he be able to score well today considering the fact that he hasn't played in a very long time. The match was to start at 7.30am IST. I know for a fact that Dada had left for US on 9th but didn't see any pics of him joining the team. Lots of things were going on in my mind whether he will play today or will he sit out. To clear off all speculations that was going on in my mind VVS posted a Pic of Dada joining the Team and Viru had posted a Pic of Dada with his bat inside the dressing room. Woah, I was relieved. The Toss began and the players stood for the national anthem. That was the first sight of Dada on TV for the match. Couldn't restrain from screaming on seeing him. Sachin's team were bowling first. So the wait to see him bat continued. 

It was during the first over of the match that they showed him and the crowd went berserk on seeing him on the big screen. So did I. I may sound crazy but I ran closer to the TV to get a closer look at him. 

( Dada sees himself on the big screen. Reacts to crowd going berserk on seeing him )

If you ask my mom what I would choose between "Food when I am hungry" or "Watching Dada play". She will angrily accept that I would choose the latter. This is how I was that day. My grandfather who is also a huge cricket fan joined me to watch the match. It was the end of the first innings and I like any other cricket fan was hoping to see Dada open the innings with Sachin. Surprisingly Sehwag opened up with Sachin. Sehwag didn't add much to the total.  My TV set was chanting DADA, DADA, DADA......... and there came my Dadi.

(  GOOSEBUMPS Moment - Dada Walks in to Bat )

The GOOSEBUMPS feel was back yet again but this time it was along with sweat. Everytime Dada comes out to bat till he is there in the middle I sweat a lot because of nervousness. You could feel that if you touch my palm. My aunt tells me not to take it very seriously because I become nervous each time and that it is not good but this is something which is out of control. It comes automatically within. Normally when you see your idol come out to perform you will cheer out loud and will celebrate it. Its completely different for me. 

Dada was off the mark with a single and it was a huge sigh of relief for me. To be very honest I knew Dada hasn't played cricket in a long time and all I was hoping for was to see him play a cover drive and to smack one over the Bowlers head or to come down the track and clear the fence once. The moment of happiness came in the last ball of the 3rd over. 

3.6 - Kallis to Ganguly : SIX, clears the boundary comfortably. Full outside off, Ganguly times the pants off that and just uppishly drives that over mid-off for six.

I was like all over the place in the hall as if I took a wicket. How many time have we seen this shot time and over again. Too Good. Dada seemed to be in good touch and I was like Dadi, One more please.... Dada had a very short stay at the crease. He was dismissed for a run a ball 12. Even though I was a bit disappointed, that SIX off Kallis overshadowed all that. The video of Dada's SIX was all over Facebook and on Twitter and fans were rejoicing it. The fan support for Dada at Houston was no less to Sachin's. Here are a few pics that the fans shared with me and with my friends on Facebook. 

LA - November 15 :  The third and final match happened today and it was 8am start IST. When Dada plays I don't need any alarm to wake me up. The other day I woke up around 3 am and today I was a bit early, Yes I woke up at 2 am and all excited for today's game. Sachin had won the toss and decided to Bat first ( Yayyyyy !!! ). Looking at the team sheets it was clear that Dada would not open and would bat 2 down. All of us know how much chennai is flooded with rain for the past week or so. The rain gods came in the way of letting me watch my GOD play today. Rain made sure there was no signal in DTH and I had to search for a live streaming link to watch the match. After a lot of struggle found out a working link after 20 mins and there I was ready on time for the match. Sachin and Sehwag were in full flow and for a second I thought whether or not Dada will get a chance to even bat today. 


And there came the moment, Sehwag got out first and was followed by Sachin. 
Dada walked in to Bat and Sachin had a word or two say to Dada.

( That GOOSEBUMPS moment again )

And it started again, The nervousness and tension. I forgot to tell you all this. I have this superstition of sitting in the same posture. If I am sitting in a particular posture and if Dada scores the first 4 or a SIX, i will stick to that posture throughout the innings. It was very important for Dada not to lose his wicket because there wasn't much batting left after him. He started off consciously and the first big hit came when Symonds came on to bowl. 

11.4 - Symonds to Ganguly : SIX. Flighted on middle, Ganguly eases down the pitch and lofts it straight down the ground.

Are we in for a big one here ? - I asked myself but immediately decided not to think too much and to take it ball by ball. Dada wasn't taking much risks in the middle and wasn't going for shots understandably. Symonds came on to bowl again and this happened in his very next over.

13.1 Symonds to Ganguly, SIX, tossed up and outside off, Ganguly runs down the track like a charging elephant and thumps it over long-off. 


I was like OMG, Dada is in some mood today and is looking good. The fan boy inside me kept asking, a 50 Today Please ? I remained calm and it was the 17th over and I didn't get excited at Dada scoring back to back boundaries off Walsh either. Only three overs were left and he had already crossed the 30 run mark. I knew Dada had already played a memorable knock that we fans would cherish for a long time to come. It was the 19th over and Dada smacked Warne for a SIX over mid on and he moved into the 40's. By then the rain stopped and the DTH signal was back. 

It was the last over and Dada faced Vettori and he needed 8 runs to complete his 50. He had already hit 3 SIXES in the match and only one trademark shot was left. Coming down the track off a left arm spinner and clearing the rope on the leg side. First ball went for 2 runs and then a Boundary, then came the moment of JOY. The moment all of us were waiting for, YES -  Dada's 50. He scored 2 runs off the 3rd ball to complete his first 50 of the series. I stood up applauded and cheered Dada's fifty. Called up Mom and told her, Dada scored a 50. She was like, " Are you Happy now ? Have breakfast now atleast. "

Vintage Dada in Display 

In the meantime got a SMS from Grandma saying, " Congrats & Sorry " for Dada scoring a 50 and then getting out the next ball. 

Even though Dada got out the next ball it was Vintage Dada in display at LA. It turned out to be an awesome Sunday morning for all Dada fans. People went crazy all over on Facebook & Twitter. It was my turn to celebrate the same with friends. Called many of them and discussed it. That feeling of happily explaining friends about how well Dada played was pure bliss. Has to be one of the happiest days in recent times. 

Dad, Grandfather, Grandmother & Brother all called and congratulated me as if i scored a 50 today. The sight of getting to see Dada bowl was also satisfied today with him bowling just the one over. 

The Past week has to be one of the BEST days this year for me because it gave me immense satisfaction and joy to see Dada play and perform so well. I swear that the happiness I get from getting to see him play can never be equated with anything else in life for me. I take this blog as a forum to thank all the legends who took part in the tournament inspite of not having played cricket recently. They took lots of efforts just for fans. Thank you Sachin and Shane for such a wonderful initiative. Most importantly we were able to see Dada back in action because of that. Hopefully Dada plays next year too. 

With this I can very easily say I relived my childhood in the past 1 week and it was like all 90's all over again. It was a lovely experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Thank you Dada......Hoping to see you next year as well. 


With Loads of Love,
Arun Raghavan