I took up the game seriously only after watching Sachin

I had the chance of meeting Sachin paaji when I was 13 years old, when he had come for a game in Jaipur in 2005. I also have had the opportunity of knowing Mahendra Singh Dhoni from close quarters.

CHENNAI, 08/05/2015: CSK Captain M.S. Dhoni and Mumbai Indians Mentor Sachin Tendulkar discussing befor start the match at MAC Stadium on Friday. Photo: R. Ragu CHENNAI, 08/05/2015: CSK Captain M.S. Dhoni and Mumbai Indians Mentor Sachin Tendulkar discussing befor start the match at MAC Stadium on Friday. Photo: R. Ragu -

When I started playing cricket, Sachin Tendulkar was someone we looked up to. Just like every other young cricketer, I also took up the game seriously only after watching Sachin paaji . And even today, he remains my inspiration.

I had the chance of meeting Sachin paaji when I was 13 years old. He had come for a game in Jaipur in 2005 and I was selected as one of the net bowlers. Before hitting the nets, I gave him a few throw-downs and he was very humble. Never did he make us realise that we were actually bowling to someone like Sachin Tendulkar. He made it a point to talk to us and made us feel comfortable. That was definitely a fanboy moment for me. I still cherish that moment.

I also have had the opportunity of knowing Mahendra Singh Dhoni from close quarters. I met him for the first time in 2017 at the Rising Pune Supergiant camp. It was during a practice game that I first met Dhoni

bhai . I was batting when he came to the ground and unfortunately I picked up an injury on that very day. He walked up to me and inquired about the injury and also advised me on how to deal with injury. That really touched me.

As a young cricketer, these are the moments I will always cherish.

As told to Shayan Acharya