It’s not for nothing that cricket is often considered a circle of life, a great leveller. Over the last few years, Arun Haryani - one of India’s die-hard fans - has also realised the true essence of the sport.
According to the 41-year-old, who is a regular in the stands, waving the Indian flag with his entire body painted to resemble the tricolour, cricket has helped him overcome depression and live a ‘good life’.
“Cricket is my everything. When I look back a few years ago – when I had nothing to look forward to – this game gave me a second life and I just hope to show my gratitude.”Arun Haryani, India’s superfan
A few months before the COVID-19-induced lockdown stalled the world, Haryani suffered huge losses in his textile business and slipped into depression.
The lockdown made matters worse and Haryani did not know what life had in store for him. “Throughout the day, I would watch Sachin Tendulkar sir’s old videos and slowly realised that I was feeling happy, watching cricket,” Haryani tells Sportstar.
At the Sabarmati Riverfront on a hot and humid Wednesday afternoon, Haryani - with his entire body painted to resemble the tricolour - is busy cheering for India ahead of the marquee World Cup fixture against Pakistan.
Despite being a regular at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Haryani is yet to manage a couple of tickets for himself and his friend Anil Ladwani - who usually dresses up in Pakistan colours whenever the two teams meet.
Haryani (in Indian Tricolour) and Anil Ladwani (in Pakistani Colour) strike pose ahead of the ICC World Cup match between India and Pakistan in Ahmedabad on Wednesday October 11, 2023. | Photo Credit: The Hindu/Vijay Soneji
“I have reached out to everyone, but so far, nothing has happened. I tried buying tickets online as well, but could not get any,” he says. He is among those thousand cricket enthusiasts, who have not been able to acquire a ticket for the big game.
“During the IPL, I cheer for Gujarat Titans, since it is our home team. And after seeing my energy and determination, they give me a ticket for each IPL game at the Narendra Modi Stadium. But this time around, I am yet to get anything for the World Cup. Bhagwan se prarthana karta hoon ke tickets mil jaye…” he says with a smile.
At his age, it is not easy to battle the heat and wave the flag with his entire body painted to resemble the tricolour, and Haryani insists that he doesn’t do it for money, but for his passion.
“Cricket is my everything. When I look back a few years ago – when I had nothing to look forward to – this game gave me a second life and I just hope to show my gratitude,” he says.
“When my business bombed, I did not know whether I could get going. There would be days then everything seemed over and I was in depression, but then, slowly, I fell in love with the game…”
Even if he does not get a ticket for the big game, Haryani - a fan of Shubman Gill - plans to cheer for his team from the outside.
“I take inspiration from Sudhir Gautam. If I can’t make it to the ground, I will still stand outside the stadium and wave the tricolour and chant, ‘India, India’,” he says, quickly adding: “That’s my way of showing gratitude to the sport…”
Comments
SHARE