Aakash Chopra on Team India, Cricket Politics, IPL, #dhoni #rohit #kohli Legacy & More | @RJRaunac

So how much do you earn from the commentaries on Akash Chopra? A lot more than me. Who earns more in Hindi than you? I have to go home. When you debuted, who were in the team at that time? There was Veeru, Jam on team 3, Dravid, Sachin on team 4, Dada on team 5, Laxman on team 6, Parthiv on team 7, Anil Kumble on team 8, Harbhajan Singh, Tahir Khan. What did you take in the old days? What a team! What a team! Honestly!

Indian team didn't take the trophy. How do you see this decision? If Mohsin Naqvi was just a cricket administrator Then you can understand that he is a cricket administrator You should take a trophy from him. He is just a cricket administrator Mohsin Naqvi is an interior minister What is this?

He has been given a medal You didn't give the trophy were given a medal for not giving the trophy Because I'll ask you the question asked by Rohit Sharma What would you have done if you were the coach of Pakistan team? I would have left them What did they say? I would have left them, I don't know

Pakistan's coach is not safe anyway And one of your quote was also very popular When Dhoni came and left Now what happened is That day the mic came a little late Or someone else was talking, so the sound was there. And the sound was gone.

The first ball of Harshal Patel's ball hit the stick. So, even before I could finish the sentence, he had already left. So I thought, okay, never mind. So, how was sharing a room with Mahi? How long were you together?

We were together for a month. A month. Long haired Dhoni He didn't say 30 things in a month His phone was ringing 3 times I asked him to pick it up He said no Aakash, he keeps ringing I asked him why did you keep 3 phones He kept ringing but didn't pick up

Rohit and Kooli will play the World Cup in 2027 Do you think they should play? Playing for India is a privilege It can never be right It's basically a house of rent You have to pay the rent regularly

This land that we registered, it's yours, it's not anyone's You have played with Gautam Kabir Yes, yes How much do you rate his coaching? Oh!

You also take care

Yes, take it How is Kolkata as a franchisee? Shah Rukh is a sweetheart According to you, which is the best IPL franchisee now? Oh! Which is the best IPL franchise according to you? Dhoni should leave IPL. When should he leave? Will he leave it in the middle this time?

Let Dhoni decide when he wants to leave. Virat as a batter is better than Sachin?

No, Sachin.

A very iconic moment came in your commentary's life when the women's team won the world cup. In the west of India, in the darkness of the night, a new sun has risen. And the whole world will be illuminated by the shine of that sun. But this victory is not only of these girls. It is of the hard work of the viewers, of the years of penance. You have had such a weird moment that you remember, why did I say this? So either win or learn, today we won, they learned.

Hello friends, in the Raunak Podcast, today our guests are In today's podcast, our guest is a former cricketer, a former Delhi guy, India's best Hindi commentator, India's best cricket YouTube channel owner, one of the five elements, after Priyanka, Prem, Yashji and B.R.G, he is the country's most famous Chopra. So please welcome Akash Chopra.

You forgot about Neeraj. Let's take it back. I don't want to get a bullet. Neeraj bhai. He's the fifth Neeraj bhai. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. Fantastic introduction. You've been with us for a long time. You said something factually incorrect. You said YouTube... Do you have 18 channels? Because Kohli's number is 18, that's why I said 18.

It could be more. But in cricket, your channel is the best, the biggest. And we have learned from you. And when we were starting, we had talked about it. Correct. So you had refused, saying why are you doing it?

You are lying. No, no. I will see your work. By the way, it's a mutual admiration club, so we move forward. People will say that we are... No, people know that we both do good. So, if we say good things about each other, what's the problem? Okay, fine.

What do they say? The shopkeeper won't sell his sweets. Then the cash will go. But thank you very much. It was nice to have you. We wanted to talk a lot about cricket.

Correct. The public has also asked a lot of questions. Right. So, let's start. Done, sir. What do you think is the biggest challenge in commentary? See, Ranak, I think that why do you watch sports? One of the big reasons for this is, or I should say there is only one reason, that is entertainment. True. Although people say that you have trivialized it. And games are... Sir, the basic principle of games is that if you ask a kid, why do you play?

It's fun. You should enjoy playing and you should enjoy watching. If this fun element is lost, then it means you are doing injustice with the game. Right. Then, why not that lawn bowl game?

It should be exciting. If it's not fun, then what's the point of watching? So, I think the most important thing and it's difficult sometimes, that the images that are in front of you, can you make them more entertaining? Sometimes they are automatically there, so there's no need to do anything. Because he's shooting, he's throwing a boomerang, the job is done.

But many times there are passages in the play that don't have excitement. In which the match is going slow. Now in a slow match, how can you engage the viewer so that he gives you his time till the next over. Because his time is very important. And you don't take it for granted. The moment he feels bored, stop.

What will he do before that? He will mute. Because he doesn't care. He is watching the visuals and saying, okay, it's fun. Even after listening, it's not fun. So what's the point? So I think the biggest challenge of a commentator is that it has to become entertaining. This is your first duty.

So how do you prepare? Do you have notes? Do you have facts? Do you have data points? Does anyone tell you in your earplugs? What happens in your earplugs? There are multiple things actually. So before the match, we have a 15-20 page document.

We have a dossier. And there are a lot of things in it. And we can't read anything from it. Because 15-20 pages means, 1, 2, playing 11, this, then the strike rate in front of it. That is very analytical, very good for data.

But even if you read that things, they are not registered. And then it is not used at the right time. Because reading is not important. After reading, it should be registered. After registration, it should be delivered at the right time. And it should also be relevant.

I mean, you have read something, that's why you have to say it. So, that makes no sense. So, there is a dossier, which you don't read but you look at it from a sensory point of view. Somebody like me, because I win cricket, so when I win, most of the things are organic. Knowing about a player, what he did in the last 5 matches, how he plays, now he is used to it, he plays so much, he talks a lot, so it becomes a little easier.

But I think the preparation of some things is absolutely mandatory. It is especially important for the caller, like when you start the match, the first sound you hear is the match setup. And that setup is very... And there are visuals in it,

and you have to match those visuals with the commentary. You have to talk about something or the other. It starts like, nowadays, IDFC first bank, even though they won't give money, I am still promoting.

So IDFC first bank test series, this is the first competition. Or say, this is the series of three matches, first competition in Delhi, then we will go to Rajkot, then we will go to Dharamshala. This series of three matches, in which you go on. Virat Kohli and Rohit are back.

Mitchell Marshall and whatever team is in front. And then you start building. And then you go into small narratives. Which the producer has already thought about. That today you can see the battle of sixes. Today you can see these three great games.

And then the cameras are going to pan on them. And you have to keep matching those words. So, I think that's a very important thing that you should prepare for. You should have an idea of how to prepare for it because you have to talk about something new every day. Every match cannot start the same way.

Right.

Like, I was doing it now, and you keep thinking, keep reinventing. That in limited overs cricket, there will be unlimited opportunities, unlimited Unlimited fun and unlimited something will come. And you started. I started like that. One day we lost in the Shrinkhla. I thought, one day there was a difference of 19-20. But now it's 20-20.

Because it was T20. So, I mean you start, you try and become a little creative. So, it's important to prepare for that. Preparing to prepare for that. Preparation to call for big moments. If you don't do that, you'll fall short. So, I think there are some things that you should prepare for. So, how does a commentator's day start?

I mean, how do you start? Today is a match day. And it's a big match. India-Pakistan, India-Australia, India-England. It's a big match of the World Cup. How does your day start? What is your routine? See, what has happened nowadays is... It wasn't like this before, but now... There are a lot of pre-match recordings.

Okay.

So, sometimes, I mean, you tend to feel that by the time... Especially if there is a one-day match... So, suppose your match starts at 1.30, hypothetically. Your recording started at 10-10.30 in the morning. Okay. You are on air from 10-10.30 am.

After that, the big moment is about to come.

That is a big day, so it started very early. So you have been talking non-stop. You are just talking, talking, talking. So when the highest moment comes, in which the team will win the trophy, one will win, one will lose and all of that. Sometimes you find it challenging.

To go there, you have to save energy, save your voice. Because the quality of the sound keeps deteriorating. The more you use, the more... I have a problem that my sound gets thinner. So the timbre disappears. So, generally, there is a 5-over extent.

There is a 5 or 4-over extent in white ball cricket. Test cricket and ODI. In test cricket, sometimes, ODI is also big. So, they make it for half an hour, in which sometimes 7 overs happen. So what do you do during the break? Do you have tea or something to warm up? That's all. That's all the time you get.

Here there was a break, then you drank something quickly, then someone comes to record something for social media, then a little bit comes, okay sir, give these 2 bites here too. In T20 also you are saying that it takes 10-12 hours. In T20, it takes 6-7 hours minimum. In ODI, it takes 12 hours. And in test also? In test also, nowadays in test, since we started doing it on Jio, we have reduced our pre-match show.

Because we must have realized that people don't tune in in the morning. So the day becomes a little shorter. And after that you start your YouTube channel. Sir, that is our job. So, big question, what will you do with so much money? As soon as I get the money, I will tell you Mr. Arunak.

When I was checking, when I was doing this research, the page was open on the laptop. So, my colleague Harshit came from behind and saw that you are checking this. So, how much do you earn from commentaries, Akash Chopra? He has put up a figure, I won't say what. You guys have a lot of money. So is it a good option as a career option?

Do you think commentators get good money or you get this much? A lot of people get more than me. But it's a good profession for multiple reasons. One is, of course, you don't have to work. If you look at it from that perspective. I mean, what will I do sitting at home?

Or if I have a fellow cricketer, what will he do? He will watch the match at home.

Okay.

Now, he will watch the match at home. If a friend comes along, he will have coffee with him and talk about the match. So it is not really work. I mean, I told you earlier, it felt like I did a lot of work. There is a lot of work in terms of quantum. A lot of work has to be done. But it is still not work. I mean, it's not like you have to make an Excel sheet,

then print a PPT, then do something else, then go and sell something. I don't have to do all of that. So if you look at it that way, It's a blessing. We were playing earlier. Now, let's talk about the game. I mean, five fingers in the ghee, head in the pan and you've become fat. So, how much money do you get in commentary? Just to understand.

No, people. So, is it per match or is it your whole project? Per day. Per day? Per day. So, it's per day, I think you start somewhere around 30,000-40,000-50,000 rupees per day.

And as time goes by, people take 8-10 lakhs per day. I don't take it, because I don't get that much money. 8-10 lakhs per day? Yes. Is it available in today's time? Yes.

When do they get work? Because how will they afford this much? Then the game will be ruined. So, they have Hindi and English versions? Yes. Who is earning more in Hindi?

There are many. Is it Siddhu bhaji? I don't ask anyone's money, how much is he earning? But many people are earning. Actually, there, one thing is that most of the times, those who have played a lot of cricket,

see, so the benefit of playing a lot of cricket is that you get it at different stages. It's like you bought a stock and after that the dividends keep coming. Sunny Ji, or any of them. Be it Veeru or Zaheer. Whoever has played 100 matches. Harbhaji, Suresh, whoever the guys are.

Anil Bhai, all the people. VVS, Jam, they will come to do commentary. So, I am sure they charge top dollar. But look at Sunil Gaush. He is an inspiration for all of us. How much he played, at what level he played. And even today when he is on the ground, when India is winning the match, that same childlike attitude.

His commitment is different, Ronak. Honestly, I touch his feet and say, I will kiss your feet. Because the commitment you have, I mean, I have not played even 110th of yours. And in my broadcasting career,

I will be playing 110th. But I say to some things that I can't do this, I have to go home. They say no, I'll go. They went in quarantine. I'll tell you a story. So when IPL was held in Dubai, it was the time of Covid. So it was happening in the bubble, so I was in the bubble, they were also in the bubble.

After that, there was India had Australia tour. So, I had an offer for Australia tour. Because I had worked there for Channel 7 last time. Now, I had an offer this time also. I said no, I won't be able to do it. Because it is a hard quarantine of 15 days. Hard quarantine means that when you close the door,

they take your keys also. Oh, you will be in the room only. That is it. You can't go out. Walkout is not possible. Knock and drop food.

Someone will knock, leave the food, in a plastic plate or something, eat it, put it outside and that's it. And then there was a full tour. The Wadegawas trophy. 4 test matches.

Which is good, 6 weeks. I said 6 weeks plus 2 weeks, eight weeks I'm already living in Dubai. It was the whole April season. I said I can't do it. I put my hands up. I said I can't do this tour. Sunny ji did that too.

Sunny ji did that too. I said sir how are you doing this? He said I enjoy doing this. That is absolutely sir, hats off. Because I can't think that I can do this much. I can't think that I can do this much. I can't stay away from kids for so long.

So I had to go back home. But brother did it. He is brilliant. Akash bhai, tell our viewers about your journey. When did you start playing cricket? Before you tell, if I give a small background, there are very few Indian cricketers who have scored more than 10,000 runs in first-class cricket. That's where your name comes in.

Recently, when Amol Mazumdar was talking about how he played such an important role in winning the Women's Cricket Team World Cup, and when he was praised for playing, perhaps because of Sachin and Kamble, he didn't get the chance. He was such a good player. So when I was comparing the runs, I said, Akash Chopra has scored more than 10,000 runs.

And when you played the match, even if you didn't play that many matches, you played big matches. Correct. You went to Pakistan, you went to Australia. You were with us in that iconic match in Pakistan

when Virupa made 300 runs in Multan.

And then you played IPL. You were a part of that iconic match in Pakistan when Viru Paji scored 300 runs in Multan.

And then you played in the IPL.

But now as a commentator, you make people go through the journey of cricket. But when did this start? Did you know you wanted to play cricket since childhood? What was your journey? So, I think Kapil Paji had picked up the World Cup in 1983. I think it was June or July. I was 6 years old.

6 and a half years old. Born in 1977. So, I saw that. And that day I thought that I want to play cricket. Now, playing cricket is one part. After that, I wanted to become Kapil Baji.

Because everyone wanted to become Kapil Dev. I am Kapil Baji. So, that spark was there, that I have to do this. After that, step by step actually, the role of parents is that they allow you to play. Because I mean, I come from a middle class family.

In which there is no paternal work. In which you can move ahead, it's okay, even if you fail, it's okay. And I was very good at studies. I was very good at studies. So my mother wanted me to become a doctor, my father wanted me to become whatever he wanted to become. But both realized that this work is actually difficult and they are taking a risk.

That this boy is doing this work despite being good at studies. But I was doing this despite my good studies. But I was dedicated. So, I started my journey at the age of 6-7. At the age of 7, I went to Delhi for a trial. I was under 15 at that time. Because at the age of 6, I went to my coach, late Tarik Sinha ji. He taught me how to catch a catch.

So, I only caught a catch for a year. I didn't do anything else. Just a catch for a year. Catch. Dad used to catch the catch, I used to catch it. And leather balls? No, the big rubber ball. I was 6 years old. My fingers would break. And I was this small.

I was 7 years old. So my colony kids took me for a trial. They said, Delhi is doing a trial. Let's go. We went. We were under 15. So my teacher who taught me to catch the ball was the coach of Delhi at that time. And he was taking the trial. So the first day of the trial was that the one who catches the high catch will come the next day and the one who drops will go home. So that was the first elimination round.

So a 7 year old kid... Your practice was of no use. So a 7 year old kid hit a high ball. I somehow managed to run and reach the game. I caught the ball. I caught the ball. I caught the ball and there were 500 kids sitting there. Everyone clapped. This small kid caught the catch.

He doesn't have big hands. The ball is bigger than him. So I threw the ball. It didn't reach the throw keeper. He went in 3-4 runs. So the coach thought it was a fluke. This small kid will waste my time tomorrow.

Catch one more catch. He was making the second time. I caught him the second time. I said, I am helpless now. Come back tomorrow. So, I reached the next day. I went to bat. My stumps and my head were the same. So, I got one more ball. I said, come out. That's it.

That day, my dad also went. He said, come back after two years. What is this? You brought a kid. This is not a crash. So I joined Sonnet Cricket Club at the age of 9. And I have played organized cricket. After that, I never played street cricket. I never played with a tennis ball.

I never played with a plastic ball. Since I started playing, I mean, the proper journey started after 9 years. That I have to go to practice. I have to practice every week in Sonnet Cricket Club. I have to catch a bus from school.

And I have to reach there ball and practice. So, I started from there. I never had a doubt that I won't play. I was sure I would play. Because I used to catch good catches in my age group. After that, I learned how to correct batting. So, I was doing well in my age group. At that time, my age group had fewer kids.

But everyone thought that this boy, Akash, would play one day. And touchwood just continued in the same way. I think I was very lucky that I went to the right place for the first time. Because I used to see Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Sharma, Sanjeev Sharma, Tulvasan practicing and watching everyone. So, I used to stand behind the net and watch them.

And I used to say, they play so well. But I used to learn a lot from watching. And that aspiration kept burning. He looks like me. If he plays, I can also play. So, that belief I think was there from the beginning. Somehow. I don't know how, but it was there. Debut in 2003?

Debut in 2003. Correct.

Against New Zealand?

Yes. So, how was it? What was your experience of the first match? Very interesting. Because there is a little backstory behind it. You were 26 years old then? Yes, I was 26 years old. I made my debut in October. I was 76 years old.

So, from that year till the previous year, I mean, I was playing good first class cricket. Everything was going well. I started getting a name in the India A team. So, I came back as the highest run scorer. And then another India tour, I come back as the second highest run scorer. So Gautam Gambhir and I were running together.

So at one place he was the highest run scorer, and at another place I was the highest run scorer. There was a West Indies and a Sri Lanka tour. After that, there was a Ranji Trophy match, semi-final match. Before that, I twisted my knee and ACL tear happened. This was in 2003, February-March.

Your debut happened in October? Yes. 4th October? Yes. Something like that. I don't remember. But very good. You have a lot of knowledge about guests. Very good. You can comment like this. Please do it.

So, my knee got twisted. In the beginning, he didn't get a diagnosis. No one knew what had happened. So he said, do icing, do this, do that. Keep doing it. I played the semi-final match.

But then I realized that I ran. When I turned around after taking the run, I collapsed. And when I was heavily a heavily bandaged knee.

It's been a month and it's not getting better.

He was already in the Indian team.

He said, Abheeves had his surgery in Delhi. So he had his surgery. So I went to the doctor in Delhi. Someone recommended me to him. I went to him here, somewhere around South Delhi. He told me that it will take you 9 months to come back to active sport. Now this is about April or May.

I sat in my car and I cried. Because at that time, around April, whatever be April or March, India had another tour, England, and I was told that I was the captain on this tour. I had a full chance of becoming the captain.

I was doing well, so there were chances. Now I am a senior, I am 25-26 years old. And the team was looking at me, that yes, there is a chance that we will invest in Akash. Now they told me that this is going to happen with you in April. And now I am doing your 9 months.

I said that next year's January, that means my Ranji trophy also went. Ranji trophy starts in September and October and ends in January. I said that I am not only this tour, I am done with my first class season. So I sat there and cried. That this is a big mistake in life. Then he said, no, no, wait. Ashish said, I will do math, you don't do it from here, I will talk to someone else.

Then we talked. He said, you do it in Bombay, but 6 months is the minimum. 6 months is a bare minimum. Before this, you cannot hit the ground. Okay. So I went to Mumbai, got the surgery done and came back. After that I was fortunate, found a good physio. So we worked hard for 3 months, 3-3.5 months. We used to do 2 sessions in a day. My house was Rohini, I used to come from there by Shadra,

by taking the metro because I couldn't drive the car, I had a knee issue, I didn't have a driver. So I used to come twice a day to do exercise. I was up in three and a half months. After three and a half months, they asked me, Akash, do you think you are ready? Because India's camp is going to be held. New Zealand is going to come.

After that, there is Australia's tour. Basically, we are looking for an Australia tour. But can you actually come to this camp? I said, I will come, Ashu. But I have not played cricket for 4-5 months. I have not even picked up a bat.

I am just running on zigzag and stars. I have not done anything. He said, you come, you will see. You will get physio here. Come to Bengaluru. It's okay.

So I remember, it was August-September. It was raining in Delhi. I told him to bat at least a little. How will he reach? It's not like this. It's India's camp. It's my first time going there.

Sachin, Rahul, everyone will be there.

Fully enamored.

I told a kid, put the ball in the shade. I'll be in the rain. There was no space. He was standing under a shade. I was standing on the bat. Otherwise, you'll be humiliated. For the first time, John Wright will see you. For the first time, people will be there.

It will look so bad. So, we reached there. Andrew was there. He was the physio of the Indian team. So, he said, did you get the test done? I said, everything is fine.

But it is not right. I said, what is not right? He said, it can't be done in 3 and a half months. He said, this is a thing. I said, get a test done. I said, get the weight lifted, run, get the fielding done, do anything. I am capable of doing it. He said, you are right.

But it's not even 6 months. Dr. Anand Joshi also reached there. He also said, I am okay with everything. I'm feeling fine. Okay, then it's fine. But there was a challenger trophy. He didn't let me play. He said, no, no, I don't understand. He's ready now.

So don't let him play. Let Akash practice. But don't let him play now. Because he's not ready. It's not possible. It's not medically possible.

Okay, but then another half a month passed. I was the only one who was picked for both the games. The first one and the second one. The first one was in Vizag and the second one was in Rajkot. So, it was a clear instruction that Akash… Because I had a knee brace in my leg. The brace had plates. So, there was a brace on one knee. So, I couldn't squat with that.

I could squat with one leg but couldn't with the other. So, the thing I did quickly, I had plates in my legs and a brace on my knee. I could not squat with one leg and could not squat with the other. So, the range I had achieved in a short time was not complete. Like, the whole leg would not open. But I was working. I was working.

So, they picked me from both the teams. It's been 4-4.5 months, let's take a chance. What can we do if it looks fine? So, we reached Vizag. It's raining a lot in Vizag. New Zealand is full of water. But New Zealand, they still agreed.

They said, let's play the match. We thought the match won't happen. So we played the match. I was not even opening in that match. I was probably at the third number. So Viru was also there.

Someone else was opening the bowlers or someone else was doing it. And I was on the third number. So one wicket falls and I go to bat. I am standing like this to bat. This is my first game in 7 months. In 7 months, for the first time I was on the pitch of turf. I was standing in front and watching. And in my mind, I saw a bowler named Ian Butler.

He used to bowl around 140. Oh! So, for the first time in my life, I was bowling to a bowler who bowled 140. So, I told him not to bowl to the stumps, not to the stumps, not to the stumps. Bowl it out, bowl it out, bowl it out. He bowled it out, I let it go. I said, at least this ball has survived. Last time I was playing against an international bowler There were multiple reasons to doubt myself But then slowly I started batting And after that I don't know what happened Obviously instincts take over and all of that

And I started batting, batting well, batting well Later Yuvraj Singh also came to bat with me And I scored a century I was like fairy tale I scored a century and only this much match happened The total duration of the match was...

It was till your century. That's it. Game got over. Game over. And I was like, okay, someone is writing the script. I am not writing it. So we go to Rajkot from there.

In Rajkot, it was the same that don't make Akash do a short leg because he has a little injury in his knee. But now Akash has come in front running. Because he has scored 100. Already only one person has scored 100 in that match. Even in Rajkot, batting comes around 67-68. Some runs are made.

And John Wright had come to watch the match. He must have liked what he saw. The pitch was a little green top. I think this was Munaf Patel, R.P. Singh, these were their debut matches at that time. Okay. So, they were in our team and of course, Daryl Tuffy and all the other players were there. Jacob Orem, Daryl Tuffy, Daniel Vittori and all.

And they picked me.

Within 5 days, 5 or 7 days actually, from the first match in Vizag. And in Rajkot match, there was only one week total. And you were selected for Team India? I was in the Indian team. I couldn't believe. I said, what happened? You know that we are talking about you.

Maybe you will get a name. But what will come? I don't know. And my name was there. So a week ago, who didn't know that he will be able to play, Leave the outside ball, please put it out. To getting into the Indian team. So, we went to Ahmedabad from Rajkot.

Ahmedabad was just a drive. So, we reached there. I remember that I reached there in the team meeting. I saw Sachin, Saurav, Rahul, Lakshman, Anil. What a team! Beautiful! It's so nice.

And it is surreal. It's so nice! It is surreal! It's a dream team! We were sitting there and we were like, these two guys came and whatever. Then we were divided into different groups. Different groups of batters and bowlers. So, Sachin is outstanding.

So, what he does is, he realizes that this kid is a little scared. He has seen me for the first time. Now he knows that people consider him God. But I mean, he is a modest man. So he talks to you to make you comfortable. You are talking to him. Akash, do you know one thing?

Did he put this ball of Vittori? I am thinking, I have played 27 balls of Vittori. You must have played at least 2700 balls. I played for the first time in the world. I played for the first time in the world. I played for the first time in the world. I played for the first time in the world. I played for the first time in the world. I played for the first time in the world.

I played for the first come in? Open. Me and Veeru. His story is also good. So Veeru, being Veeru, I know him. I have been playing since childhood. He is coming from school cricket and all of that. Okay, with Veeru. Very nice. Now Veeru says, look, the first batting comes.

So he says, look, Daryl Tuffy, when he played against him last time, He took wickets in every first over of every innings.

Now you are taking a strike. You are out in the first over. Keep in mind. And in the single, I said, Viru, play five balls.

Your turn. Your turn. And the pitch was good. He also hit fours. I got some 40-odd runs in that match. In the first innings, 40, 30 something in the second innings also. So, got some runs. The nerves were... I still felt like it was a dream. That it was a dream and something was going on.

Before that, two things were different. We were catching before the match. So, one of my fingers got fractured. This little finger actually popped back. So, he…

This was before the first match? Yes, before the first match. Before the match. He was a fat guy, right? Yes, he was a fat guy. Correct. So, this got fractured.

Leifers put a cast on it. So, this is broken. I have to write it down. They won't let me play. What do I do? I said, are you crazy? I have to play. I said, put it on. No need to tell anyone. I'll play. It's okay. Don't worry about it. And the second thing was that I had a brace on my leg. They said, no, don't put it on the short leg.

As soon as the short leg. No, it's a junior's job. Just sit quietly. So, we fielded on the short leg. We caught good catch fights. Then we went to Mohali. It was good in Mohali too.

We scored 50 runs in both the innings. And after that, because it's a protocol, we went to the cast. So this is how the debut happened. It was like a fairy tale. I mean, you can't script such a script.

Amazing. So when you debuted, who were in the team at that time? Sevag, Sachin. Veeru, Jam, Dravid,m Dravid, 4th was Sachin, 5th was Dada, 6th was Laxman, 7th was Parthiv, 8th was Anil Kumble, then Harbhajan Singh, then Zaheer Khan, and 11th was Bowler, I think Ajit Agarkar or someone else, I forgot, Balaji, Balaji and I had debuted together actually. So 11th was Balaji. What did you take in the old days.

What a team, man! What a team, honestly! A rockstar team. And that year, we gave a killer performance in the One Day World Cup. Correct. So, I think, almost similar team.

Similar, yes. The World Cup in 2003 was... It must have been around Jan-Feb. We had gone to the West Indies for the India-A tour. And the team was at the prime for their technique. Under Dada's leadership. And this was actually a dress rehearsal. The New Zealand tour was just a dress rehearsal for Australia.

So, it had nothing to do with anything. In this tour, both the matches were drawn. We didn't win any match. Nothing happened. We were not talking about anything. In fact, we were enforced to follow on in Mohali. We had to bat twice. They did it only once. But there was no focus here. The focus was Australia.

So, a new player joins the team and gets a cap. Does he get a ragging in Team India or not? First of all, I didn't get a cap. Bala and I didn't get a cap.

Why?

We forgot. What is this? I swear, I forgot. So, at that time, I don't know who... And who would have given it to you? Sachin? I mean, I guess someone would have been assigned to give it. Because they keep it in a rotational way. One day you give it to someone, the next day you give it to someone.

Bala and I didn't get a cap. In my next match, UV made their debut. Dada was missing the match. I gave the cap to UV. I thought, I didn't get it. You guys forgot. So, there's no ragging. But there was one thing. When there's a team meeting,

on the first day, they ask you to say something. Like, tell us something about yourself. So, everyone has to say something on the stage. I think I said something good. I could have said it then. But there's no ragging. I could have said that since then. But I don't know how to do dragging. So after that you went to Australia.

You played in Melbourne and also in Sydney. And you and Veeru also started the Century Partnership. So when you went to Australia, you didn't call it the Border Govs' Trophy. No. When you came to Australia the next time,

it was the Border Govs' Trophy. Was it made in 2004? Yes. It was made in 2004. Okay. Because in 2004 we went to the scheme. So, when Australia came to India for the first time, I mean after that India came, after the 3rd. Okay, okay. So, that was the Bordegoss trophy.

Yes, that was the Bordegoss trophy. Again, I don't even remember playing. Correct. So, we went there. Correct. It was a very interesting experience. It was my first tour with the Indian team. Was the fear of Australia still there? Sir, the level of fear was different at that time.

Because we were on the plane, we read an article. It was written in the Indian newspaper that Indian team is going there to get thrashed. 4-0 In the Indian newspaper? Yes, in the Indian newspaper.

Do you know who was the reporter, he was an official of the board at that time. God bless his soul, so I won't name. Actually he said this. Someone asked him what are you expecting from the store? He said, I want to hear the charge. I remember that scene of full Chakde India. In Australia, what is this? So after that, when I was going to play the first match,

there was a reporter, God bless his soul, he told me one day, he was a senior, so I thought I should meet him. He said, son, your stance is wrong, you are holding the bat wrong.

Reporter told me.

Reporter told me, he said your stance is wrong, your way of holding the bat is wrong. So I said in my mind. So now he is not a reporter, he has calmed down. Yes. That's why you said, God bless his soul. Yes, God bless us all. So, I told him, I said in my mind,

Should I play the match or not? Because the stance is not right, The bat is not holding properly. So, what am I here to play? But that was a different time. I mean, at that time, Australia,

The first test was, how is Australia in Australia? Steve was there at that time. Steve was there, the captain was there, the whole press was there. Everything was going on in one way. It's like you are not playing against a team alone, you are playing with the whole country. And all the reports that used to be there, all those reports used to feel like

it is a part of a big jigsaw puzzle. In which the former cricketer will say the same thing, a reporter will also say the same thing. Then the headline on the front page. And whatever article you are feeling that they are praising you, then in that also that backhanded thing will be chipping you. Means the person is chipping.

So it came to this that now I don't want to read the newspaper. Here our team's understanding was that don't read newspapers. Because there was no social media at that time. So don't read newspapers because whatever they tell you, they are telling you wrong. They are going to blow you away. And that was the case throughout. So, being Veeru, when he made Ranman, he said,

I will read it, you don't read the rest. So, he read it a couple of times, but it was a very different tour. That high intensity tour, in which every day, every day was a test match, a separate test match. That intensity, the intensity of every day. Although I had played only two tests before that.

But the intensity against New Zealand and the intensity of every day against Australia. It was a different level. And even today, when our team goes to Australia, the same psychological pressure is there on the team. It's a lot. When I went to Australia as a commentator for the first time, I realized that coming here to play,

doing commentary here, I had to change the rules a little. Because until that time, I felt that a person should be neutral. It is never us versus them. It is always India versus Australia. So that way, I was told, I was new in broadcasting, I started in 2013,

went to 2018, I was doing a lot of things in between, but I was learning now. I used to listen to people, I used to listen to the commentary while going in the car, carefully, I am trying to learn what people are talking about and how they talk, how to explain something, how to describe it. So Richie Beno, Tony Gregg, I used to listen to all of them in commentary. Just to understand.

So there I realized for the first time that no sir it is not Australia vs India. It's us vs them because the whole team is against it. Everyone is against it. Everything is happening in the way of propaganda. That you think, I, what are you doing? So, whatever is against India is amplified.

Every former cricketer who is talking in the same tone, is talking the same. Did they all get two wickets? Actually, it seemed like that. I am not kidding. So, then I realized that by the time the second test match happened. So, there was an incident of the second test match. Actually, there was an incident of the second test match. Actually, there was an incident in Perth, in which we lost the match. There was a talk about Jaddu and Ishant. And they were a little far from the

stump at the non-striker end. They must be at least 15-20 meters. So, there was a lot of confusion between them. It could be, it must be about something. So, what did they do? They raised the mic To catch the conversation or at least some gist that we are fighting each other. After that clip was circulated in the Australian media. Australian media started talking about it. So, the day before that match, I think it was Pantar and Ricky Ponting. So, I asked them what are they doing? They said, mate, making a mountain out of a molehill.

Don't worry about it. It's nonsense.

I said's okay.

It makes sense, a former cricketer is saying this, a fellow cricketer. Ricky Ponting comes on commentary and then blows India away.

I said, what else was he saying?

Suddenly the time has changed. I said, the time has changed, the emotions have changed. But what was good about Channel 7 and give credit where it's due, He said, this is what is happening. If this is the point of view of Pantar, then let's Akash. Akash, please come in. So, it was not my stint. So, he put me in.

Because we have Indian perspective. Because we have invited Indians. So, that day, on that tour, I realized that I am not a neutral broadcaster. I will roam around with the Indian flag. Because we were playing well, even though we lost that test match. I am here to only defend India. And that rule is still there.

See, what happens is, this is more drama in English. When we are in India and doing commentary in Hindi, We don't have to defend anyone because we are talking to our people. So no one is taking pot shots on us, no one has any propaganda, no one has any agenda. When you go somewhere else, especially when you go to the world feed, Although now as things are moving forward, Things are changing quite interestingly towards India,

Leaning towards India. Because everyone is realizing that This team should not be antagonized. It should not be done for no reason. I mean, defeat it. Defeat it and do whatever you want.

But agenda, propaganda, this will not work. It is going to get thwarted. So, now I don't have to do it. But that day I shook the neutrality, boss. You are an Indian. You are an Indian here.

You have come to represent India. Whoever has spoken wrongly, he has to be given a big slap. I had sworn on that tour. That's all I am going to do. And we won the trophy The Wadgawas' trophy for the first time

So that was outstanding We won for the first time And you're from Delhi, Ben Stokes Ben Stokes was also correct But he's Virat's favourite player Okay, your fans and trolls are in the commentary

Yes, both Do you sometimes feel that you've said too many lines? It's a possibility to get carried away in the veins of emotions. Did you have any such incident? If I do so much commentary, then I am sure somewhere it happens. See I will be honest.

I had that strength and that weakness too. I am good at wordplay. So I am fairly good at wordplay. So maybe that is a trait of Delhi or something. I don't know. But there is something that I can connect words. Chatur, chalak, chanchal, chahal.

Yes, chatur, chalak, chanchal, chahal, chapal, chalak, whatever. I will do whatever. So I take the liberty. So, and who explained this to me in the beginning? when you can behave like the mic is not there. So in that, again, I am very correct generally. So my language will always be correct. It won't be wrong.

But it is possible that sometimes one thing will go useless. Two rhymes went useless. Because if one is joining, then it is joined and spoken. So sometimes we realize that, okay, pull back Akash. There's no need for everything.

Even though there is a temptation, I can see that something is happening here that I should say and I can connect. And it is going to be brilliant. But, I did it on the last ball too. And sometimes it happens that...

Like, tell us a line. Andhre Andhar, Gend Bhaar was good actually. Andhre Andhar Gend Bhaar, the second time, Andhre was inside the ball, Andhre was outside. He got out and came on the first ball. So that was also right. But once in a while, things happen. There is a possibility. Because you are doing so much.

And you also had that thing, when the drum came and left. The drum came. So the build up of the song was... And there are two or three things in it. One is that, see, sometimes you are doing wordplay. So you did the wordplay. If it was limited to you, then it is not too much.

It is not over. Because only one person did it. The rest of the two are doing their own ragas. But if you did it and the other person... Complimented it. Did a little more.

Amplified it. The second one complimented him, amplified it a little more. The third one did it, so it seems like, are you sitting on poetry? Will you only be complimenting? Won't you do anything else? So it felt like that. And then you realize, why did I start? So it can be on anything. So there, the buildup of the dhoni,

it was almost like a protocol that the buildup of the dhoni, you have to amplify the buildup of the sound. Buildup should be very good. Because we were not doing it alone, the public was also doing it. It's not like the broadcaster thought that clap your hands. So the whole world started clapping.

Everyone wore yellow jerseys. Even though they are not even listening to you. No one cares. The people there are not even listening to me. Still they are creating a vibe. Look, crazy man. They go crazy after watching Dhooni.

Now if they are going crazy after watching Dhooni, then as a commentator, broadcaster, it is your duty that whatever is happening there, at least it should reach your TV in its small volume. That if that is the environment, then you have to complement it. I mean, you will do something with it, right?

Justice. Now what happened was that the mic came a little late or someone else was speaking, so the sound came and went. In the first ball of Harshal Patel's ball, the mic got stuck in the stick. So even before I could finish the sentence, they had already gone. So I said, okay, no problem. So this will also happen.

So there are many such things actually. Because now, like we do off-tube commentary. So in off-tube commentary, I see what you see. We don't have any other angle. Nothing. So people think that many times the voice is not good. It's not good because I haven't seen it.

So this wasn't mine, it was someone else's. I respect the commentator. So I won't take the name. But this can happen to all of us somewhere. Because you have nothing. Your cue is how good the connection with the batsman was.

How big the ground is, whether there is a fielder or not. I mean how to win direction, the wind was blowing fast, the ball stopped. You don't know anything. So my trick to that is that in off-tube, and if I say now, you will notice next time too. If I hit a shot, I say, I started, I buy time. It's in the air, how far it has gone.

So how far I stop, I don't know how far it has gone. It is an open-ended sentence. If it fell on the stand, it would have gone to the stand, otherwise it was a filter. So you have to buy time. So you find ways to buy time. But once in a while you will get caught.

I saw one day in Eden Gardens, someone got a top edge. Genuine top edge. Genuine top edge. I said, it's a top edge. Because I was seeing it on my screen. I have a fielder there. It was a six. It was a 51 meter six. I said 51 meter is so small. How will I know this? So some celebrated person tweeted from verified handle

How stupid commentators are sitting blind He is 6th and he is saying that he has put a top edge I said sir, what do you know, I can't see it, I don't know if there is a fielder or not How will I know how far I have gone? I am also sitting in Mumbai, I am not in Kolkata So those mistakes happen, but they will happen. I mean, you can't avoid it as much as you want to. But you won't be able to avoid it every time.

Sometimes, it's like, it's gone, it's live. So, what's easier and what do you feel comfortable in? That you can comment from where the match is happening or you can do it from a distance. Like you just gave the example of Kolkata and Bombay. It's ideal if you are on the ground. This is the ideal scenario. Because there you notice a lot of things.

You notice the vibe. Even though there is a glass flask, but you can feel the vibe. If the crowd is getting excited, you can match their energy quite easily. You notice the field.

Which fielder is standing where? Then you can also predict that if the field is here, then where will the ball be. So you can see that. And body language is an important thing again. You can understand. But now in modern day, the problem is that there are back-to-back matches in IPL. And as a language, you outsource a lot of talent. You will get it from all over the world.

For Hindi or any other regional language, you have to look inwards. So, for inwards, because if you start going to the ground, then in 70 match IPL, you can work for 17, 18, 19, 20 days, not more than that.

You have to constantly travel. In a competition, you can work for 17-20 days, not more than that.

You have to constantly travel. And even in that, your head will shake. Because morning flight, night flight, searching for connections. In your tournament, 20 matches, 20 matches, if you pull a lot, then 23 matches. Means 23 including your playoffs. So, it becomes impractical.

For a broadcaster to split the team. I get 2, 3, 4 teams. But if I make 4 teams, the quality of commentary is going to reduce so radically that I can't do justice. Correct. And now the technology has improved.

Earlier, uplink and downlink were done via satellite. Now it is done via fiber. So you get real-time visuals. Again, it has its limitations. I in real time you get visuals. Again it has its limitations. I mean there are practical limitations. This is the new medium.

You can't really help it I think. And I personally tell you, because the kids are small, I don't mind, I can go home and hug my daughter at least once. Or I can meet her before going to school in the morning. Otherwise, the kids will grow up

and I won't even get a chance to see them. That's true. Many people call you a safe commentator. Okay. Meaning you don't criticize Team India. Yes. And you always stay with them.

Is this right?

No, safe... I don't know. See, criticize... Performance should be criticized. And performance will always be criticized. There is no doubt in this. There are two spaces actually. If you are doing commentary,

then in commentary, the scope of work demands that you stay with the game. And to be overly critical of anything, match is not the time. Match is not the time. It will be in the shows.

Pre-show, mid-show, post-show. In that you go and you voice your opinion. That is the place to give opinion. Commentary and especially where I sit as a caller. For the caller, the scope of opinion is only this much. I can't give opinions.

I am not supposed to give opinions. Sunny bhaji said stupid, stupid, stupid. He is an expert. He can give opinions. His job is to give opinions.

Okay.

So when I sit that side, I will give opinions. When I sit this side as a caller, I will just describe the game and push the other person to tell. Maybe both of them know the same things. Maybe I know better than them that I can tell you more about this, but my discipline says that my job hygiene says that I should. If there is a language strength, language, throw, hygiene, vocab, if all these are your strengths, then you become a caller. Caller is the voice that you hear always. So, that's the internal terminology for communication. Yes, so this is a caller. So, the job of a caller is, amazing shot great shot and run four runs. I'm out.

This is over. I don't have any role after this. So, you are always a caller?

90% I am the caller.

In Hindi, I have a lot of callers. I get less chances to go that way. I feel like going. So, sometimes I send them in between. But I stay in this space because this is my strength. So, the one who is sitting next to me, because he will get a shock.

It goes like this. Shock. After the shock, replay. First replay. In the first replay, the expert who is sitting, his job is to tell that I have told the shock. Now you don't have to say,

it was a great, amazing, blast. Now you have to tell why it was great. Why was it difficult to hit a shot? What did he do that he got a four? Now if there is another replay after this Sometimes there are three replays of an event So the next replay of that will be a third one Its name is color

Color

Yes

So the work of the color guy is Now he got time I have called One has called the replay So now he has got good 15, 30 seconds To think what I have to add in this.

So ideally he should add one more thing which we both have missed. Is the work of color difficult? So if taken seriously, then. So if you maintain this hygiene, then color will speak the least, But will bring the most valuable things out of the box. And it's a difficult task because you just are keenly observing like a hawk.

Because they have done both the regular things. I have to bring what no one has seen. So, that work is tough. So, generally who becomes color? These lines have become a little blurred these days. The problem is that it is not the same as it was before.

Now, sometimes anyone calls. So like Gautam, here too, all-rounders are played more. Now, yes, there are more all-rounders. So when I sit this way, then I make sure that I resist that temptation. I will never call. Someone's 50, someone's shot, someone's something.

That's not my area. I put the mic down. Caller, it's your turn. So, it's the expert's job to explain. It's the caller's job to add. So, it's about a safe commentator. So, in commentary, if you want to describe the caller's job, there is no safe or unsafe zone.

Good shot should be said well, bad ball should be said badly. I mean, what else can I say? But can you punish the commentator? that if he has over-criticized a player. You can do anything. I have been very critical. I mean, I do my Aakash Bani too. I open my heart and talk whatever I want. But one thing is for sure that

in the past and now, the way of presenting the truth has changed a little. You can speak the truth in a polished way And you can also hit someone on the head. So I choose the first approach. Earlier I was a stick person.

So I used to say whatever I wanted to say. I used to say first and then think. Truth was also there.

That was also truth.

But that truth is such that it feels like you have slapped him. So do you get a call that you have criticized Akash too much? Put some soil in it. No, actually, not now. Because now mostly all the kids have become small. Earlier, the 7-year-old who used to play with them,

so once in a while, there used to be a message from somewhere that it's a little too much. Not that I cared at that time, because I used to feel thought I was an activist. My job was to handle the protest, to protest, to protest. So I came from that thought that instead of speaking the truth, I will speak the truth, I will not say anything other than the truth.

I swore on the Gita. And in truth, I mean, if it is the truth, it should be bitter. Now I have understood that it is the truth. Now there is no need to go beyond this. I don't know who gave him the bat. Now go home and make parathas. What are you playing?

No need to say this much. Exactly. There is no logic in that. So I will say a soft criticism. There was a match with Pakistan. So you said that that you should have joined hands or not?

See, I think, Aruna, that I thought of it from the POV of the players. Now, it was not the decision of the player to play. I told the player to go there. You play for India, so play the match there. He went to play, then whatever is your behavior after that, that is also being judged. Everything is getting judged. Why?

You can judge my performance, I have accepted it. But will you judge my behavior too? I felt that was unfair. It was absolutely unfair because it's just unnecessary. It started from there, that you started by shaking hands. Or you didn't shake hands,'s where the first controversy starts.

Then you talk about changing the referee. Then you talk about skipping the match. Then you talk about the gestures. And then it keeps increasing. And then they need two commentators on the toss in the final. I mean, it started from there.

Now, the player has no fault in this. Nor does he have any work. His work is that we know one thing, that is to play cricket. And we can't play well every day because we can't play. So judge me on that, you will do that anyway. And if I spoiled the match of India-Pakistan and lost the match because of me,

then you are going to tear my clothes anyway. Now, will you tear my clothes, what am I supposed to do? Why judge me on that? It is not my job, it is not my place. Either you give an official statement before the match. That we are playing in this match, but we have decided that we have instructed the whole team that no one will shake hands with anyone. But this did not happen. This all happened retrospectively. Whatever discussion happened, it has happened and then we reacted.

And after that one thing led to the other. So far so good. The guy ran away with the trophy. So the Indian team did not take the trophy. How do you see this decision? I can still understand not taking the trophy. I can still understand. Why? Because if Mohsin Naqvi was just a cricket administrator, for example, Jagmohan Dalmia, he has no political affiliation. He used to be a cricket administrator.

So, you can understand that he is a cricket administrator. You should take a trophy from him. He is just a cricket administrator. Mohsin Naqvi is an interior minister. I mean, their politics and cricket are so intertwined that it just does not sound right. It doesn't look right. And so much had already happened in that tournament

that India was well within their rights to say, we don't want to take a trophy from him. But the other person's ego is of a different level.

He is not taking it from me. Take it from him. But the other person's ego is of a different level.

He is not taking it from me. Take it from him. It's okay. What difference does it make to me? In fact, same thing, same similar situation with Jai Shah When Sri Lanka and Pakistan were in the final of Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. And in that, they had already decided that Jai Shah will not give the trophy.

While Pakistan lost. So they said that I will not give the trophy to Pakistan. Later he did not change his decision. Which was gracefully. Grace is for the powerful. As it is said, forgiveness is for the powerful. If you are in a good place, you can gracefully let things go.

What is the problem? He ran away. I mean, how is this right? What is this? And he also got a medal for that. He was given a medal that you didn't give that trophy, so take a medal for it.

I mean, they distribute different medals there. No one has ever received such a medal. What should I say? So if we talk about the country, the team, So what do you see as the main problem in the Pakistan team? Team? I mean, problem is a problem. Okay, okay. Problem is a problem, if you see.

Because I will ask you the question asked by Rohit Sharma. If you were the coach of the Pakistan team, what would you do? I would have left it. What did he say?

I would have left it.

I don't know. Pakistan's coach is not safe anyway. There is some history, I remember 2007. Correct. So anyway, so Bob Woolmer's case, made a video, we both have made it, you can go and watch it on our channel. So in the Pakistan team, actually Ronak, I will tell you the truth, the problem is not as much in the team as the problem in the country. And why do I say it? You see any country, not in isolation, you just see someone's sport and see that country. So you will see

one thing very common, the country will be developing, the team will be developing, the country will be going down, the sport will be going down. So it is exactly that. So it is not like this, it is not a coincidence that when in in Olympics, the US is at number one, China is at number two, then you see Germany. Why do you see them? They are seen because the country has developed and developed nations.

That is why they are so good at sport. Now, if you like India's team, then of course, BCCI has a big hand in this. They work in a very constructed way. It's structured. But. They are structured. But your country is structured.

Your country is not chaotic. Everything happens through process. So, you have to replicate that process in 6 places. Where the country is chaos. That will be reflected on the team. You see all the chaos.

Today this captain, tomorrow another captain. Then another coach, then another coach. Then you have made the the team player and the director. I mean, who does such things? And the second thing, Akash bhai, I have also observed that, and we all have observed that, as soon as the Pakistan team loses,

especially when it loses against India, their experts, commentators, colors, callers, Yes, colors, callers, experts. These people destroy their players go crazy. They become very personal. What is this? I had a burger. I had a pizza. It's not just about their fans.

It's about their experts. Some of your friends too. And I think what you said is in their character. Because the character of the country is such that they become very personal and squeeze the player.

Because I think even now, for Pakistan and it's a very important bit, for Pakistan, the thing that they identify with, see, what does India identify with? India identifies with the 4 trillion dollar economy,

our Mars mission, we saw our moon on the South Pole, we are doing this in AI, we are making semiconductors, we have this Indy genius, we make Brahmos. These are the things that we associate ourselves with. Number of billionaires, that we have so many billionaire entities, how are we growing in a short time, look at our UPI. So, these are the things that we associate with. This is our identity right now. And it will continue to improve. We identify with our Indian cricket team as well. Because our Indian cricket team, whether it is of boys or girls, is a symbol of success.

It is successful. Pakistan, unfortunately, still identifies with itself that what it has done and what we can do better than that. When you are always comparing yourself with the other and you are inferior in that, then it is a natural response.

Because winning against India is a part of their identity. This is the metric of their success. So if you lose to India, you will have to fly the kite, sir. Because the people want this. They have been taught that defeating India is your be all and end all. When was the last time that there was a conversation in India

that defeating Pakistan is the only purpose of our life. We don't even think about it. Surya has said that this is a competition. We don't even think about it. We don't even think about it unless someone provokes us. We don't even talk about it.

We are so busy talking about ourselves. Why would we talk about it to anyone else? If we want to see, we will look at America, how their 30 trillion dollar economy was made, or what we did in AI. I mean that is where we want to go. Wherever we want to go, we will look at that side. Who looks back? So the same thing happened with Babur Azam, do you think?

That too much comparison with Kohli took the natural game of Babam's natural game or that comparison shouldn't have happened? Actually, the comparison is a little invalid. It is invalid because whatever Virat Kohli did and for as long as he did, see, brilliance in patches, I am not saying Babur is a bad player, he is a very good player. He is a very good player. But a very good player, doing that work for 15 years, doing it on that intensity, doing it on that quality, makes you Virat Kohli. So if you start comparing after 3 years, because certain numbers are very good,

then it is an unfair comparison, an invalid comparison. And one more thing to keep in mind is that when India plays cricket, when was the last time India actually played their A team against Zimbabwe? We don't play, right? Our kids go to play. We play. We help everyone.

But we send our kids. That you go and play in A team. We don't send Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Right.

But the whole team goes there. So that comparison is invalid. Our team, which goes to Australia and plays every other year. In a way, you are calling him Zimbabwe. No, I am just saying that... And does anything like this come out when you are doing commentary? I tried not to... I am very cheeky. So what happens with my cheekiness,

I still have a little control. So I go there. I go to the cliff here, but I go back from here. So my companions jump many times. So this has definitely happened. Tell us something, what happened? You left while talking.

I mean, I will go there, like okay fine, Lord's ground, Pakistan's left arm paced bowler, a long no ball, and I will go quiet there. And I will just go quiet. Now it depends on the companion, how long that silence the person next to you how long he can digest the silence and the pregnant pause

and how he reacts. And sometimes that reaction will be and then it will go wrong. So I have just taken you there by holding your hand. But I left you there because

speaking in front of him is insinuating something. I can't insinuate, right? That has happened. But you can't say what is happening here. So I don't want to say that because I have to be politically absolutely correct. So have you ever had a weird moment where you remember why you said that? I took too much.

No, it happens with Pakistan sometimes, but... Nowadays, it is also like everything goes also. So, you must have done it, never handshake, we shake right now, Not handshake, we shake right now, and whatever, And you can also give that pinch to anyone, Like, yes, like this, that either win or learn,

So, either win or learn, today we won, they learned. So, I said it on air. I am forgetting everything. But win and learn I remember. But I made sure that I said, we won, he learned. So, I make sure that my pronunciation is absolutely right. If a person is not even thinking, he will understand you. Correct. And like many people say, Hey man, Ben Stokes. He is Virat Kohli's favourite player. Or when Virat Kohli was saying something, I said,

Hey, he is remembering Ben Stokes. So I left it there. That he is remembering Ben Stokes. What does it mean to remember Ben Stokes? Okay fine sir, you decide. You decipher, decode.

My ball has gone. My collar's job was just this.

Amazing.

Let's come to the Indian cricket team.

He doesn't deserve to be in T20.

I know, I know. It's a hot topic right now. See, he deserves it. Only vice captain... Again, this is what age teaches. If you had asked me 15 years ago, I would have said that truth is of this color only, nothing else.

But now you realize that your and my truth can be different. I mean, I have kept an apple here, someone has eaten it. So your truth is that someone has eaten the apple.

My truth is that apple is absolutely right. He has no problem. It is not a lie. Both are right. But it is not the same. So you need to realize.

This humor teaches that a little perspective should be changed. So when I see Shubman Gill, I say what is India trying to do? Because that is one thing that I keep saying that what India is trying to do. Because that is one thing that I keep processing. What I am thinking is one thing. But what the other person is thinking, give him some respect. He also wants to play cricket.

He doesn't want to defeat India. He just wants India to win. Because if India wins, then it will remain his job. If India loses, then it will remain my job. It is a guarantee. So it is possible that I love the Indian team very much, but he will have to love me more

because his job depends on it. So what he has thought is that Shubman Gill will get a continuity. After 26, it is possible that Surya Kumar Yadav as a captain will not be able to survive the next cycle of the world. And he is trying to put some process. In two formats, the boy has already done well.

He is doing very well. In the test, they took a chance. I think it was a leap of faith. It was a leap of faith less than that. It was a leap of faith because I didn't know what he would do in England.

He has never scored a run in England. So, when he scored 750 runs there, If he comes to ODI, he is a rockstar batter. In reality, it's not like he doesn't bat. His 2003 IPL, 2025 IPL. He scored a century in T20 and international cricket also. It's not like he has hired a referee. He has a thought behind it.

Whether the thought is right or wrong depends on my perspective. And secondly, he is Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson. So, suddenly that thought seems flawed. But I can understand what they are trying to do. So, when World Cup games come, there are not 200 runs. It's a 150-run match.

It happened in Asia Cup. It happened in Barbados. It happened in New York. There are 170-run matches everywhere. In 170 runs, Shubh Mangal is a very good player. But yes, there is a responsibility

that when there are 170 runs, the match should be match knockout. Like India-Pakistan, Ayesha Cup final, you scored runs. Because you are hired for this job. For others, we have a lot of stroke makers. Rohit and Kulli will play the World Cup in 2027. Do you think they should play? See, wanting is a very interesting thing.

Because playing for India is a privilege, not a right. This is not anyone's right. No matter how good he has done, it can never be right. This is basically a house of rent. And you have to pay regular rent. This is not the land for which you have registered. It is yours. It is not anyone's. This is a house of rent. So what will happen in 2027

depends on how the path will be from here to the future. You should play. Please play. We are in South Africa. In South Africa, you will need experience. So, if Rohit is doing very well in this, doing a great performance, please play. Virat Kohli is doing well. Why would you not want Virat Kohli?

But till there, the fire should be equally on both sides. It is very important because two years is a very long time. In 2023, did Virat knew that he will leave Test cricket in 2025. When the Oval was getting finalized, India vs Australia, WTC final. Did anyone know that Rohit Sharma is going to be the captain in that man. And in 2025, he will leave Test cricket.

Virat Kohli will leave Test. Who thought this? We never thought this. So, did he leave or... But he left. I mean, why would you want to believe otherwise? Because I mean, if it's a small kid, then it's understandable that he is kept quiet. He is small, he just came, so he is scared.

But because he is so big that the situation will be created like this, he said, let's leave it. Still, we should not leave it. Because life teaches that the situation today will not be the same tomorrow. So you are saying, leave it, leave the captainship yourself. Captainship? So you are saying that he has left it. He has left captaining himself. Captaining? I mean, he has taken retirement from himself.

Yes, he has taken retirement from himself 100%. Unless, after 6 months, after a year, after 2 years, in his book or somewhere, they themselves come and say that I had left it because I had A, B, C. Then I will buy it. Otherwise, I find that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not dependent on the voice. If they are not telling it themselves, then why should I put ghee in fire and roam around?

I mean, let them set the fire. If they are not saying it, then why should I listen? No, you are a commentator. No, but still it is wrong. I mean, retirement, you took VRS. Now you have taken VRS. you can take it in any way, I mean till you say that I was being fired, so I took VRS. So I want to hear it from you. And even if you were firing me, if you were firing me, the second point is that if I say that I am firing you, then fire me.

VRS is not definitely an option, there are two options. You can also fire me. I am in a job. You say, Akash, I am going to fire you. So do one thing, take VRS. But I say, I don't take VRS. Fire me. It's okay. Fine. Firing is okay. The whole world has dropped. I will also be fired. So there is no problem of ego in this. Okay, I understood. You have also played with Gautam Kambir. Yes. And after leaving your team, he opened the next match with you.

Yes. Or his own place. The match in which I dropped, Gautam opened the next match. Gautam opened with Veeru Bajaj. Correct. So, how much do you rate his coaching?

Between 1 to 10. In white ball cricket. Many people have a problem with his coaching style. No, no. In white ball cricket, many people have a problem with their coaching style. In white ball cricket, when they are coaching international cricket, then you should judge only on the results. So, the results are outstanding in white ball cricket.

ODI is definitely there. You are losing the series, but before that you win the Champions Trophy. You win the Asia Cup without dropping a match. You win the Champions Trophy without dropping a match. Since they have taken in T20, there is no series that we have lost. So, numbers are there.

In Test cricket, of course, there are questions. You have to see them separately. Because you are losing the New Zealand series at home. You are losing the Borda-Gavaskar trophy. If that is not good, then there are two things in their CV, there are two things. That this is not right in your coaching.

So, the judge will have to judge you on the same thing. What are your performances? If you win the World Cup, well done. If you don't win, there will be a question mark. Okay. What is your opinion on Harshit Rana?

Is he being backed well? It can be backed better than this, if you feel like doing it. I will tell you the reason for this. Because what is happening is that you are getting opportunities but not enough together in which you can create an atmosphere

this way or that way. If you play, for example, in a Melbourne match he scored 30 runs. And it was the second highest run scorer of India, in which Abhishek scored

60-70 We lose the match, we should have played the next match In that we drop So now we didn't get two chances together Then when you see one day cricket Then you see that they played in the last match

They took 4 wickets Whatever they took 3 wickets, they took 4 wickets In Sydney match So if you give regular chances Then you make a judgment You form a judgment, you form a judgment. That is it right or wrong, good or bad, should I drop or feed.

Now what is happening is, chance is out. Chance, one match in the Champions Trophy, one match in the Asia Cup, one match in the T20 series. That's not good enough. One thing that the selectors have to think, the coach has to think, the captain has to think is How much depth do you have? Your fast bowling depth is limited. It's not that big.

We think it is, but it's not. Boomera, Siraj, Arshdeep, Prasidh, Akashdeep and Harshit Rana. I have counted only six. You're not counting Shami? Shami is not a part of that list right now. So you think he will never wear Indian colours jersey?

I won't say that. Even after playing a good Ranji match, he didn't take it. He couldn't take it now. He couldn't take it now because... If we are saying that he should have taken it today, then in his next podcast we should also say that what wrong did Aakash Deep do?

He just won the Birmingham test. He took 9 or 10 wickets. He went to England for the first time. He won the match. Next time when we go to Kolkata, Kolkata is his home too. He plays first class cricket there. If you get a chance,

don't you want to give it to him first? Because if you are doing justice to one person, it shouldn't be that you are doing justice to another. Shammi unfortunately went behind. So, sometimes you have to stand behind in the line. Now, people will move back a few steps and then you will get your number. It is important that you keep joining. You don't leave this queue.

If you leave the queue for Mother Dairy's milk, then someone else gets it. We are taking this other brand which is not giving us money. Why are you doing this? Sorry, man. Cut it. Who knows, we might give it for this. Point. So, it's important for them to stay in line.

And maybe they get a chance. Because Indian cricket, again, when I say there are 6-7 fast bowlers, maybe I have missed one or two. So, there is no pool of 6-7. There are 3 formats. You do well, you will come.

It is as simple as that. How big a factor do you consider you to come to the team and perform? It's a big factor. It's a big factor because many people say that it evens out in the end. I don't think it evens out in the end for everyone. Because you are passing through in a good form. If there is a close situation that goes in your favor, you continue in a good form. The incident was small. There was one person who went in your favor, he was in the good form. The incident was small.

There was one who went in your direction, he was in good form. And you continue to do well and that long, a long patch happens and you are a rock star. I mean, after that, a few failures are also forgiven. You are already going through a bad form. You were going through a bad form. You got a slight chance somewhere, but you are not in a great form to actually capitalize as much.

The team loses. It's an external factor completely. When the team loses and you are in a bad form, these two coincide and you drop. You are spoiling the team, the team is winning, you are connected to the team. You are doing well, the team is losing, you are still in the team. But if your bad play and the team's bad play, if that combination is bad, then in your horoscope, Rahul and Ketu are together.

And then you are at 7.5, unfortunately, sorry. So, commenting or playing, which player have you seen that I have not seen a luckier player than him? Everything happens in his favor, I mean, the situation comes. Or even if it doesn't happen, he keeps himself in a certain way that he doesn't move. See, luck never goes in anyone's favor. There is no one who... But in comparative...

In comparative, it is the same person who is standing there till the end, who is fighting. The one who fights, eventually gets lucky in his favor. That is a reality. If the one who left the field, runs away, that you have a tough situation. Now you know it is a reality. If you leave the field and run away, you have a tough situation. Now you know that it is a tough situation. You have two responses.

One is that I am going to attack. The other is that I am going to defend and I am going to bide my time and I am going to be here. I am playing very badly but I won't get out. I am trying to stand. I don't hit a bad shot. So, the one who doesn't hit a bad shot, because he keeps fighting on the pitch for a long time, then you find that the luck has gone to him a little bit. They say, the harder you work, the luckier you get. So, you get that small luck factor only when you stay in that game for a long time. But the fact of luck is important, sir.

Which player do you think is like that? I mean, it's a very good example. If you look at Virat Kohli, he's not just a Melbourne guy. Look at Pakistan's players. I mean, he wasn't... He had a partnership with Hardik. Hardik was the one who ruined Pakistan's game plan.

He was the one who hit Nawaz six times. He was the one who was attacking. As soon. He was the one who was actually attacking. As soon as the spin came, he attacked. Virat was moving forward with a single at that time. But he didn't get out. Because he knew that if four were out, he wouldn't get out.

Let me take this deep. We'll see what happens later. Dhoni, same story. Many times you think that Dhoni is very lucky. Why is Dhoni lucky? Because where a lot of people leave hope that it's too much, you have over 12 runs, let me try. And when you are thinking of let me try, you know that there is a 50-50 chance of being successful.

Taking the game to the end, he always saw it like this. Because he knows that not now, but after 5 minutes, after 7 minutes, after 10 minutes. Maybe there will be an opportunity, but to capitalize on that opportunity, it is important for me to be there. But he is there. So, then you make your own luck. But because we are discussing Dhoni, so 2019 India was in New Zealand semi-final.

There was no need to take the game to the end. You could have hit Dhoni earlier also. People still criticize Dh look at him, he talks a lot. But your response to a pressure situation has to be the best response you have got after working hard since childhood. Because whatever you do, the failure rate is very high. So, their understanding that day...

And that match would have ended, it would have reached there. If they had scored two sixes and another game would have been played, I mean, they would have won the match, it would have been over by that time. If they had scored two sixes and it would have been another game, I mean, they would have won the match and it would have been an iconic innings. I think that day their batting order should have been a little higher. So, they were sent down a lot. I think that was one mistake, a tactical error by India.

If you criticize their way of playing, then you cannot celebrate their ability to finish. Both can't go together. Then you will be result-oriented. If you win, you will keep praising. If you don't, you will keep abusing.

If you clap, because it's his game, then maybe one day he won't work. But what is the percentage? The percentage is that Dhoni has won more matches. If he couldn't finish it in one or two matches, then he couldn't do it.

It happens. It happens with everyone.

Okay.

Does the coach and the captain have their own preference whether he should be in the play team or not? What do you think? See, there is a little bit. So, does Gautam favor KKR more? But in this, can't you select? He is a coach, he doesn't even have a voting right. So, even if he sits in the selection committee meeting, he doesn't have a voting right.

So, there are 5 selectors, one is the secretary, neither he nor the captain has a voting right. So, you can't influence to a degree that you say that this should be the selection. How will you make it so that you don't have a voting right? And this doesn't even happen generally. See you can suggest because it's a team. It's a team where selectors, coach, captain, what is the motive of all of them? The motive is that I want to make a team that should win.

So if everyone's motive is the same, then it is possible that 50-50 is going on in one name. One selector has this view, another has a different view. And then you come to a consensus. Should we do this? Okay, fine. Captain, are you comfortable? Because many times it happens that

the captain has to run the team and the coach has to run it. So, if it's a 50-50 matter of 19-20, then say, okay, I don't care if I pick A or B, this is not a matter of life or death. So then I am okay to go with your choice because ultimately you have to get the best out of this player and I didn't. And I want to give you all the, it's like I want to give you all the weapons that when you are going for a surgical strike, you should have all the weapons.

At that time, how do you use it? It is in your hands. But you asked for something, I gave you something else. You wanted Rafael, you said no, take only SU30. So SU30 won't be enough for Rafael, right? So for Rafael, you need Rafael only. So that much you have to provide, I think. How will you work without that?

Okay. And because from KKR, we were talking about KKR, you also played for KKR. How is Kulkata as a franchisee? Shah Rukh is a sweetheart. I mean, I was there for the first three years. They were running it like a family at that time. Very emotionally invested.

Extremely involved. Venky Mysore didn't come then. It was a professional run setup. Because the day they bought the team, they said that I want the best coach, the best physio, the best trainer in the world.

I want all of them to wants the best coach, the best physio, the best trainer in the world. Because only the support staff can prepare. The rest of the team will play as they want. He realized that it's not that straightforward. First year we were at 6th, second year we were at 8th. 8 teams were playing in the French foot league at that time.

But I think he was outstanding. Shahrukh was absolutely brilliant. And as a team owner, does he reflect in the team? Shahrukh's presence or the way he... I don't know right now. But he was very funny at that time. At that time, I mean, he does this anywhere.

Like, a brand is coming. Do this. Give it for wives too. And then the brand said, we had only said men's watch. They said, give it for 5 rupees also. They stood on the stage and said. Give all of them laptops.

Please, they are all my kids. I am their family. This was happening. But that was the early part of the IPL where everybody was trying to find their feet. And to understand how does the league work. There is Bollywood, there are cricketers, superstars in their own rights.

But they have to move together. What is the dynamic of the league? I don't know how it is now. I am not privy to it. But Shah Rukh is a sweetheart. And one of your videos also went viral.

You guys were commenting on the ground. And then Shah Rukh comes waving and stops suddenly. He is incredible. He is chivalrous. He is a very bright guy. Extremely bright. I have also done commentary with him. So in commentary, again hygiene.

I have to tell that don't pick up the mic on this ball. Because I have to finish the over quickly. There is an ad break. Our salary comes from there. So please don't touch up the mic because I have to finish the over quickly, there is an ad break, our salary comes from there, so please don't touch the mic. Rather you don't say don't touch the mic, he says I'll take it, let me take it. You have told him once, you don't have to remind him. He is so bright, he is so smart, he'll immediately get it. Don't pick it up. It's over. Amitji is also like that. Amitabh Bachchan.

I did commentary with him too. He was the same. You need to tell it once. That's it. After that, fourth ball. Then someone is telling him, no, no.

He'll handle it.

You, you.

Very bright. Extremely bright. Which is the best IPL franchise now? Oh, I think the franchise that runs very well, in terms of consistency, Mumbai Indians, they are successful run their team in a very unique way. Mumbai Indians, I think, Chennai has been very successful for a long time. So, the way Chennai works is very affable. I mean, they are very loving.

Whatever is with them, becomes his. That is a little bit of Chennai's philosophy. But his fans are sad these days, that he left Jadeja. Again, tactically it is not wrong. The team has to improve. If the team has to improve, then sometimes...

Because he was the core of the team. Chennai's core, Jadeja. So is it wrong to expect loyalty in a franchise model? See, loyalty can only be with success. You create loyalty with a successful franchise. Individuals are of course very important but eventually individuals have no place.

It has to be the franchise. This is also accepted in Dhoni's case. This should be there. This should be there. Ultimately you and I can't decide. If this was India's team,

and today you ask me if Dhoni should be in India's team, I will say no. Because I am invested, this is my team. Chennai is not my team. Mumbai is not my team. No team is my team.

My own team is with my team. And these things are very dear to me. Then you say, okay, I'll go with it. Right. So how do you see this trade? Will it be beneficial for Sanju? I think it will be beneficial for both. Okay. In fact, it will be beneficial for Rajasthan Royals. Because I think they've done a very smart thing. Have you played with Rajasthan? Yes, I have been with Rajasthan.

I didn't get a chance to play, but I was there with the team.

Right.

I played Ranji for two years in Rajasthan. And you won Ranji twice in Rajasthan. And once you won it while living in Delhi. Correct. So, I won Ranji trophy three times. And Rajasthan has actually think they have done a fantastic job.

They are smart. They didn't have all-rounders. Not one, but two have come. They didn't have lower order batters. They have two of them. They have a lot of players in top order.

So, they can live without Sanju. Sanju means that MS, maybe he won't play the whole season, that's a possibility. Because now Sanju is here, so he is preparing to be ready for the future. So will they make him the captain instead of Ruturaj? I don't think so.

Will Ruturaj be the captain? I think so. So the talks about injustice with Sanju, hashtag justice for Sanju Samson, what is your reaction to this? Because what a figure, 55 ODI average, 100 strike rate, playing 20 ODIs in 10 years. I mean, ODI cricket is rare.

Secondly, when we have played ODIs, we have played almost like India's A team. It's not like Virat, Rohit, KL Rahul, Shreyas, Sair were there. Even after that, you wouldn't have seen Sanju. So, he went to Zimbabwe or South Africa where the main players were not available. Or they were asked to rest. So, he got a chance to play there. So, he didn't get that many chances. It is a fact.

In T20 cricket, it seems a little unjust that you were opening, you were doing well. Suddenly, you were doing well, suddenly you are being removed. So you feel that sometimes the hashtag is fair, that Justice for Sanju, it's his fault, he scored 300, he opened, he had 38 assists, he had a strike rate of 180, why is it so bad? Yes, he should have been fed more, which is fair. But cricket over a long period of time tells that not everything is fair to everyone.

Life is not fair to everyone. But when you are playing, you are young, you don't actually agitate about it. When you become old, then you realize that this person was wrong, this person was wrong with you, this person was wrong with him. Being wrong is part of life. I mean it is sad, I know. I know what happens to the player, it must have happened to me too. At that point in time, you feel heartbroken, you feel cheated, you feel betrayed, you feel every other emotion, which is right.

But this is also life. So Dhoni should leave IPL, when should he leave? This time he will leave in the middle, what do you think? See, it's the same, when to start playing and when to leave is a very personal decision. It's the same thing that I will remove him from leaving the job. It's okay. That's your right. I will take VRS. That's my right.

So, let Dhoni decide when he feels like leaving. But if he wants to play, ideally, you should play as a captain. Because as a batter, they don't offer that much. They come to bat very low. So, he is invaluable in captaining. So, if you have the desire to be a captain, then it's fine. Otherwise, I think he will play less cricket this year.

After Sanju's trade, I don't think he will play every single game.

Okay.

A very iconic moment came in the life of your commentary when the women's team won the World Cup. And then you were in the commentary box. And what you said, we all shared it on social media. What was that moment?

What was your experience?

Oh wow! So, it was obviously, it was historic, right?

I have called a lot of finals. I have called ICC finals too.

But I have never called India's final in ICC World Cup.

I wasn't with the star in 2023-2024. So, I didn't experience that. In 2016, I called the 2020 World Cup. We didn't reach the final in that too. It was the final of England and West Indies. I was a little sad that I was getting a new chance. And this is a matter of chance.

I mean, it's in our destiny. If we get it, we will get it. And for a commentator, it is the highest high. It can't be bigger than this. Indian team, World Cup final, win it, take the trophy. I mean, this is wow. And if you think from that point of view, it will be the first time,

and it will be the last time. I mean, it can't be the first time again. So, this was that moment for Indian women team. So, I realized it. I knew that I will do commentary in the final and I will do the final call of the final. Because they had given the list of callers. I knew that I will be assigned to do this. So for that I had to be ready. Because you can't do justice without preparation.

At least I feel that if you are not fully ready, because it should be such a spontaneous feel. The listener should feel that it is flowing out. It is a stream of flow. It is flowing out. It is like poetry. But how will poetry come automatically? So you practiced and manifested it.

I did it while taking a bath. I am not kidding. I have written the lines. I have written the lines here.

All the best of India. Absolutely. I did it on the way. I am not kidding. I wrote the lines first.

All the best from India. Absolutely. I will show you. I wrote the lines. I have done a lot of things in it. In the golden pages of history, Yes, this was mine. Every player's name will be written in golden letters.

I have done this. And then I discarded this. Okay. I didn't use this. After that... Let me read what you had written.

This was for the start. This was for the start. For the start, because the pot of hopes, the stove of great ambitions and whatever else. Because you have to again build the final. But it is not the highest point.

The highest point is going to happen close to midnight. Correct. So, for that, it was below that. What to do, what can be captured. So, the best of all is our India. I mean, this obviously captures what it means. World Cup is there.

You are the best team in the World Cup. So, the best of all is your India. Again, these are not my original lines obviously, but using those lines in the right place, I thought captured the emotion. After that, the second was that metaphorically, what it means, see it is the first time, there is no doubt that after 25 years India has won, the world has won for the first time and winner is India. Okay fine, that's your second line. That is factually correct. But after that you go metaphorically. How will you describe this metaphorically?

What it means? Because that moment means a lot more than just Harmanpreet Kaur taking that catch. Correct. Right. But what does the World Cup mean? What is the meaning of the victory of the World Cup?

So to capture the meaning in words, I got that in the west of India, because the sun rises from east and sets in the west, we were in the west of India, in Mumbai. In the west of India, in the darkness of the night, of course metaphorically because there were floodlights, but it was dark because it was 12.30, it is 12 at night.

That's 12.30 at night. That's right. So in the darkness of the night in the west of India, a new sun has risen. Because it's a new sunrise.

Correct.

In which the Indian cricket team is.

Right.

And the whole world will be illuminated by the light of that sun. But this victory is not only for these girls. This is the victory of these girls, but it's not only theirs. This victory is of Diana Dulzi. This victory is of Mithali Raj. This victory is of Anjum Chopra.

This victory is of Jhulan Goswami. Because they have worked hard for 40-50 years but they have not reached here. They used to reach but they did not win the trophy. And they were all there. They were all there. But we do not reach here without their hard work. When Kapil Baji won the trophy, the story started with Lala Amarnath. Lala Amarnath, Ajit Wadekar, Chandu Bode, when everyone did it, the team reached there.

It was not just that. Then, because it is a victory for the girls, the girls are like that, the girl who was stopped from dreaming, so this victory is of that kind. This century is ours, this watch is ours and all of that.

So this is how... Wow, amazing.

I must have been very close to it.

Everything was the same.

And...

I was trying to capture it.

So, required preparation, required rehearsals.

Absolutely. I was waiting for the moment. I can get it can get very overwhelming. I say overwhelming because it will happen only once. It can't happen for a long time. It has no repeat telecasting. If I miss even a single word in it, if I miss even a single momentum, if I lose my rhythm, I am done. I am done. I can't do this again. And I have ruined it forever. Brilliant. Amazing. Because it's such a big movement. Making such a big movement big is a tough thing. It's easy to bring it down. But it's good that you also manifested with the team and we also won the World Cup.

Yes, touch wood. I mean, that was absolutely enormous. So, you tell me, if you were in the 2011 World Cup, and both of you had scored a six, what would have been the line? Okay. Again, I would have prepared and gone.

So I haven't prepared and come yet. But okay.

If I just...

Top of my head. Please. So Dhoni's ball didn't go around the field this time. The whole of India went around. After 28 years, India became the world champion again. From 1983 to 2011, after a long wait,

Mahi's Dhruvandhar made India the best team in the world. Something like that. I don't know. I mean, I'm just trying. I don't know. I would have been better prepared.

Superb. Superb.

I would have been better prepared. Let's cut that clip and put it on this. Let's see how it goes. I don't know. I mean, Ravi bhai must have done it better. I mean, some things become iconic. But all world cup moments I think should be iconic. Which you remember later. If you don't remember, then it means

commentator didn't really... Shrishant's catch lane or Dhoni's hookah. Yes, correct. I mean, Shrishant takes it. And then whatever followed. Myth vs. Facts. Okay. whatever followed so myth versus facts okay Akash Chopra is India's highest paid commentator Myth

Dhoni Hookah drink? I think fact I have drunk it, I don't know I have never sat with someone and I have never drunk it Actually I have never had Shisha in my life So I don't even know how to taste waste

My philosophy is wrong So I don't know Mahi was my roommate for a month. But that was in 2004. So how was it to share a room with Mahi? How long were you together? We were together for a month. One month.

In 2004? In 2004. India A tour of Zimbabwe, Kenya. They had assigned me. At that time no one knew Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Even I didn't know him. I had played for India. He hadn't played yet. I reached a hotel in Bengaluru. I asked him who my roommate was. He said, you have to wash this Mahendra Singh.

I said, who? He said, he comes from Ranchi. I said, okay, I don't know with whom he made a roommate. So I went there. There was a kid lying there. I said, Akash bhai, come sit.

Okay. He had long hair. He must have not spoken for 30 times in a month. He was so quiet. His phone was ringing. I asked him to pick it up. He said, let it ring. I asked him why he had 3 phones. He said, it rings but he doesn't pick it up.

I asked him when he will sleep. He said, turn off the light whenever you want. I will sleep. He slept for a month at 9.30. I asked him what he wanted to eat, vegetarian or non-vegetarian. He said, order whatever you want. He was a non-vegetarian, and he ate vegetarian food for a month.

He was a sweetheart, very cute. But, I don't know, MS, hookah, I don't know. I've heard... You didn't drink at that time. No chance. No chance. So I don't know. Fact or myth. I don't know. Is it difficult to play Roko in 2027? Fact.

What will be your team for the 2027 World Cup? Too early to decide, actually. But I think I will see Yashasvi and Jaiswal playing. Yashasvi and Shubmant are yet to be captains. Shreyas Iyer will be an integral part. He is still a part of Ek Divasiya Cricket. Any other new names?

I think maybe we see Abhishek Sharma opening at that time. It's been a long time. It is too long. I don't know what I will be doing after two years. I will be doing. But if not, then I don't know what I'll be doing.

Virat as a batter is better than Sachin?

No, Sachin. And that was a different era.

No, that's not the point.

The point is that...

I can't hear or see the state's name.

Only one name. India. India. But I'll tell you. See, the era in which Sachin Tendulkar played, I'm going to take a minute or two. You have to consider a few things. 1990s was the second most difficult decade to bat. I'm talking about the history of Test cricket till date. 70 years. One was in the 1930s or 40s. The in which all the batters of that era, their average was below 10. For whatever reason, there might have been a lot of draws in the 80s, so a lot of bowler-friendly pitches were made in the 90s. In the 90s, it is possible that in comparison to the 80s, bowling was amazing with every team. Wasim, Waqar on one side, alonghtaq Ahmed on the other side, Glenn McGrath on the other side, and someone else. I mean, you looked around, everyone's average was

below 10. Sachin Tendulkar was a beacon of hope at that time. That's one thing. The second thing is, one day cricket has actually changed the format. One day cricket with a red ball, one day cricket with a white ball. There are two different formats. I mean, the sport itself is different. Sachin played a lot of cricket with red balls. So, Will's World Cup was 1996 with red balls or white balls?

1996 was coloured. 1996 was coloured clothing, white ball. But Sachin started in the 80s. He started in 89. So, he used to play with red balls for the first 5-6 years. So, you mean to say that even in the 1996 World Cup,

if you talk about ODI, it was very difficult to… It was different, I'll tell you. Because there was only one ball. In today's date, the game that used to happen with one ball in 1996, you need two balls in 2025. Why? Because the ball would get black.

The color of the ball would get black. The color of the ball would get spoilt. It would be very reversing. And at that time, India was a middling team. Realize it once again. If you are in the fifth or sixth place in a bracket of 10 teams, then half the time you are playing teams that are better than you.

So, competition is very different. If you are the number one team, every time you play teams that are below you. So, cricket has been played in a very different way. The formats have changed. Sachin Tendulkar was so much under pressure in the team he was a part of. He was the only one who could play.

Virat Kohli is outstanding. Take nothing away from him. He is brilliant. You can say he is the test at the age of 40. And he made runs. It's not like he never dragged and he was there.

And he must have needed some fitness for that. He played, man. Gill as a batter will be better than Virat? In ODI cricket, interestingly, yes. But he won't play that much. If he played, he would have scored more runs. Because after 10 years, ODI cricket will be easier.

We have made this format. It's becoming easier and easier. India is becoming better and better. The world has changed completely. But... Virat Kohli, whatever he becomes, that's enough.

It's good if he moves ahead. We really hope as an Indian, that whoever comes, takes it ahead of Virat Kohli. I mean, it's good if he leaves. We really hope as an Indian that whoever comes, takes it ahead of the previous one. But, long way to go. Mohsin Akbari stole the trophy because his country's GDP improves because of it?

What does improve? If it would have, we would have done it. That's what happens with IMF. Fact. Myth. Fact. Country is a myth. What would you like to say to your fans? What has been the best podcast experience you have had? When you want to make the house more lively,

when you want to decorate the walls. He is a freebie. He will be the third brand. We came here to make it more lively. I actually admire you. I'll tell you one thing. This is not paid, unpaid, unsolicited.

You see, I'm your admirer for a variety of reasons. I'll be very honest. Sometimes when I have to see my channel on YouTube, I have to see how our numbers are coming. So I go to your channel and see how your numbers are coming. If your numbers were going up by 10-15%, then I would have thought that it is going fine. Our numbers are also around. So, he does better than me

by the way on YouTube. And with this consistency, I do only one thing. I mean, with commentary, one Akashwani comes. You do so many things, man. And for a single entity to do so many things so beautifully, where no one feels that they are half-hearted, no one feels that they are less researched, no one feels that the demand for that thing, the content of cricket, it has to be a little comical,

it has to be a little tongue-in-cheek and all of that. So, it is that. But if you are going into politics and you are talking about what you do on your other channel, then it is hardcore stuff. You are talking facts, you are talking like straight, hard-hitting things. So, well done, man. You do it very well.

Thank you very much. So, like, share, subscribe. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can see half of the team here. So, I think... They make my work a lot easier. That's why I can do so much. So, you can say that your character is so good

that your face automatically gets better. If you know, you know. You know, you've be a good team. I'm saying this because his team is in Surat. Half of the team is in Surat. That's why I brought you straight to Surat. But the team of the podcast is here. So the team is also really glad. You got a chance to listen to so much and watch.

Otherwise, you were listening to it from before.

I know.

All the best. Mr. India. call at the right time. You are sitting there as a caller, as a commentator and you are brilliant. Your presence of mind, your energy. I feel like, as you said, now I understand how much work is done during the match and then to make it till the match and then... It is tough. I mean, I am learning voice modulation also. Okay.

I am a radio jockey. I said, these people do it. I will have to learn it too because I am a radio jockey. I thought they do it. I have to learn it too. Because I am a cricketer. I don't have this job. I learned to hit the cover drive. I learned to keep the head straight while standing in a stance. How would I know how to do commentary? So my voice was so shrill. I had to work on it. Bring the bass. I have to talk with the bass.

So the commentary should have a a voice. Not so loud, but speak softly. So people take it seriously. And I had to learn all of this. I didn't know. I have learned it by watching. I have learned from you guys too. Because radio jockeys are outstanding by the way, when it comes to voice modulation. Nobody does it better than you because you are just selling the voice. So the voice you are selling should have a good voice. Keep spreading the commentary box like facts. It's your journey. A lot of people didn't know a lot of things, so this will help them know.

So subscribe to the channel. Thank you Akash. Thank you so much. Thanks a lot. Pleasure being here. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.