A chance encounter with the Indian cricket team revealed quirks, showmanship, and indifference. Call it an unscripted version of Big Boss.
Life was still in the old normal in Jan 2020. Bengaluru airport was unusually quiet for 8 pm on a Monday. The usually cool evening breeze was also absent.
But the first hint of disruption was soon at hand. A posse of policemen was striding with unusual urgency beyond the terminal.
I overtook them to be forewarned. Sure enough, three police cars were rounding the bend…sirens blaring loudly.
A large coach followed them. Our cops now turned on their heel and bolted towards the terminal – holding their hats instead of guns. So, I knew this wasn’t a bomb scare.
People swarmed by the bus, phone cameras in hand. CELEBRITIES. And, a bus full of them could only mean one thing.
Incidentally last night, I had checked into a hotel located barely 500 meters away from the Chinnaswamy stadium. The team had just clinched the ODI series against the Aussies.
Ravi Shastri emerged first. Ruddy, moody, and paunchy (through an inordinately tight t-shirt). He stopped by the bus for a discussion.
The lesser support staff were next. Most of them didn’t care to make eye contact with the crowd, except for batting coach and one-time player Vikram Rathour. The crowd didn’t exactly recognize or reciprocate.
Ravindra Jadeja was the first of the players. He looked relaxed and radiant. Paused for a second at the door of the bus with the faintest of smiles.
Those to follow including Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Shreyas Iyer, and Kuldeep Yadav bore a bemused look but didn’t really indulge the audience. Rishabh Pant looked sullen.
Varying degrees of cool
King Kohli finally got off with his better half. The captain wore large glasses and an extra serious ‘ I am aware I am a celebrity’ expression. Anushka sleepwalked her way through the cordon of policemen.
Bumrah was smart enough to put some distance between himself and Kohli. He stood the longest at the door in clear 360-degree shades with a triumphant smile.
The crowd broke out into ‘Bharat Mata’ ki Jai. Bumrah landed another smile as well pitched as his yorkers.
Shami was the last. Cap on a bowed head, zero eye contact. Humility personified.
If there was one thing in common among all the cricketers, it was their obvious attention to grooming and fitness. But most were shorter and leaner in person than they would appear to be on TV.
Shastri finally moved. As did the crowd. The cops looked very happy for no apparent reason. Their hats were thankfully still in place despite the chance encounter with the men in blue.
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