Whenever we come across the name Mahatma Gandhi, the first thing that usually comes to our mind is the freedom struggle that he championed through non-violence. His contribution towards freeing India from the clutches of British Raj is unparalleled. Though a new book on Gandhi rather delves into the hobbies of the iconic figure. It seems the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was also smitten by the cricket fever.
It is not strange to find a political figure getting associated with a sport, but Gandhi’s love for cricket will certainly come as a shock to many. As per the recent reports in Hindustan Times, the book titled Mahatma on the Pitch: Gandhi & Cricket in India written by Kausik Bandopadhyay, which is all set hit the stores soon, reveals that Gandhi was just not associated with cricket but also wielded the willow and according to one of his friends he was a ‘dashing cricketer’.
“Many a time we played cricket together, and I remember that he was good at batting and bowling, though he had an aversion to physical exercises at school. Once we were watching a cricket match together. In those days, there were ding-dong battles between teams of Rajkot city and Rajkot Sadar (camp area),” Gandhi’s schoolmate Ratilal Ghelabhai Mehta was quoted in the book.
“At a crucial moment in the match, as if through intuition, Gandhiji said that a particular player would be out and, hey presto! That batsman was really out,” Mehta added.
“This was because politics and sports go hand in hand in modern India. The points of convergence and conflict between Gandhi and cricket, therefore, merit attention and exploration,” quoted the author Kaushik Bandhopadhyay.
Gandhiji in his signature attire!
It will be interesting to find out more details on this intriguing and rather unexplored subject when the book releases after a few days.
