There are many facets to former India batsman, coach and chief selector Sandeep Patil which is why comparing him to an onion is almost inevitable.
And on Wednesday, at the launch of his book Beyond Boundaries with mid-day Group Sports Editor Clayton Murzello at the Cricket Club of India, Patil’s contemporaries and friends peeled off many of his layers, just like that of an onion, to reveal his fondness for numerous things beyond cricket.
The book is published by Global Cricket School and edited by Sonali Velinker Kamat.
Former India all-rounder, captain and coach Ravi Shastri, who was the chief guest for the occasion, revealed how Patlya, his roommate through most cricketing journeys, loved his food. “I remember after our 1983 World Cup final win in England, we got very hungry at 3 am after all the partying, so Sandeep and I headed out into the city to find food. Wimpy’s was the only place open at Leicester Square around 4 am and we filled our bags with burgers to take back,” said Shastri.
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This is not to discount the man’s cricketing achievements one bit though, stressed Shastri: “Sandeep has a very shrewd cricketing brain. Also, he was one of the hardest hitters, I’ve ever seen back then. He and Kapil [Dev].”
Former Mumbai captain Milind Rege recalled Patil’s penchant for jokes. “Sandeep always carried a small chit in his pocket and would read out jokes from there to all of us. But I always believe that he could have achieved a lot more, like the Gavaskars and the Vengsarkars, but Sandeep enjoyed life beyond cricket too and the best part is that he has no regrets about it,” said Rege.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar revealed that Sandeep is an all-out carnivore. “I remember once we were playing a match in Gujarat and someone had invited us for dinner. There, the host prepared Undhiyu [a mixed vegetable dish] and Sandeep, much to our shock, politely turned to the host and said, ‘Sorry, but I’m pure non-vegetarian,’ and he returned to the team hotel and ordered his meat,” said Manjrekar.
Former India captain Dilip Vengsakar summed up Patil’s love for cricket and entertainment. “I remember our inter-college final where his team [Poddar College] beat us [Ruia College] and I headed home straight after the defeat. Around half-an-hour after I landed home, the entire Ruia team was below my building, singing, dancing and chanting slogans against me. Sandeep convinced me that his teammates had done that and he was not part of it, but later I got to know that he was very much part of it. But that’s how competitive and entertaining he was,” concluded Vengsarkar.
