Indo-Pak cricket and a Sunny tale

Once at a party, I was talking to Yajurvindra Singh animatedly. I kept calling him ‘Sunny’, when a pat came from behind: “Kunal, I am Sunny.” It was Sunil Gavaskar.

I am perhaps one person who has absolutely no idea about any sport whatsoever, but I do have a story. It is because I was hanging out with Cyrus [Broacha] in London, and we went to see the India-Pakistan final match of the Champions Trophy 2017 at the Kennington Oval.

I thought it would be a good idea to see some English cricket. Cricket in England, you know. But the Oval was almost like a Wankhede Stadium as there were only Indians and Pakistanis screaming and shouting. And it was hot, I was collapsing and fainting. The sun was beating down on us.

So, my one and only experience of ever going and watching a cricket match, which I thought would be great to watch in England, turned out to be like watching it at Eden Gardens (laughs) . India was losing, so we left before it got too crowded.

I have met Sunny [Sunil] Gavaskar several times. There is an old cricketer called Yajurvindra Singh (a former India international). We call him Sunny as well. Once I was at a party, and I was talking to him animatedly. I kept calling him ‘Sunny’, ‘Sunny’ in our conversation when a pat came from behind: “Kunal, I am Sunny.” It was Gavaskar. I knew he was around somewhere.

We were used to Yajurvindra as Sunny, but Sunny Gavaskar was also there.

It was, of course, a joke.

Kunal Vijaykar is an actor, food writer, author and television personality.

As told to Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya.