Parvati Nair: I wish to meet Rahul Dravid some day

I think he came across as a very sweet and gentle guy, and back then, as a young fan, I was bowled over by his presence — both on and off the field.

Parvati Nair (right).

Even though I belong to the world of “lights, camera, action,” I have always been a die-hard cricket fan. Growing up in Abu Dhabi, it was not easy to keep track of Indian cricket, but with my father and brother both being former cricketers, I fell in love with the sport in my schooldays.

Whenever I would be back at my ancestral home in Kerala for holidays, my dad would watch the game and also play with the local cricketers and I would join them as well.

People in India are crazy about cricket and it was fun to be part of the madness. As I grew up and took up modelling and acting as my career, the love for cricket remained. A few years ago, I was offered the brand ambassador role for the Karnataka outfit in the Celebrity Cricket League and I took up the opportunity because I loved the game. And since then I have also been associated with various cricketing events. For me, these assignments were interesting because I could remain associated with the game.

When I was growing up, I liked Rahul Dravid a lot. I think he came across as a very sweet and gentle guy, and back then, as a young fan, I was bowled over by his presence — both on and off the field. Though I have met many other cricketers, I never had the opportunity of meeting Dravid, and I wish to meet him some day.

I remember asking England’s ODI captain, Eoin Morgan, during the Abu Dhabi T10 event — of which I am one of the brand ambassadors — about who he thought was the “nicest” cricketer around, and his answer, too, was Dravid. I was excited to hear that.

This time at the World Cup, I so wanted to catch the India-Pakistan fixture. Even though we were shooting in London then, I could not manage to make it to Manchester due to a tight schedule. But I made it a point to watch the entire World Cup final between England and New Zealand. What a game that was! It was fascinating to see Morgan lift the World Cup.

And barely a couple of months after he guided England to its first ever World Cup, I was privileged to share work with Morgan, who is also the brand ambassador for the T10 league. With the league set to get underway next month with some top international cricketers in action, I am looking forward to watching some exciting games of cricket. It is going to be a fantastic experience and I am looking forward to it.

Parvati Nair is an actress and model.

As told to Shayan Acharya.