In this episode of 'Free Hit', a series of exclusive video interviews with players, officials and TV pundits from the Indian Premier League, Boria Majumdar chats with Royal Challengers Bangalore wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel
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#IPL2020 #IPL #ParthivPatel
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Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
#IPL2020 #IPL #ParthivPatel
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00:00Parthiv, coming to your own game, how is that shooting?
00:02How are you?
00:02How are you feeling?
00:03I mean, six buns you've not played.
00:05But when it actually hit bat on ball, how was that?
00:07Tell me about that.
00:09Tell me about that.
00:10Tell me about that.
00:11Tell me about that.
00:14Hello, and welcome to this very special edition of Free Hits,
00:16today with a very dear friend of mine.
00:18Somebody who I've covered, I mean, from his first tour.
00:21I was then a student, I've got to say this.
00:23He and I are almost one.
00:25He's 10 years or so younger, but we've
00:28had similar trajectories in terms
00:30of our professional careers.
00:31When I was finishing my PhD, he entered the Indian team.
00:34Then I practically covered him all his career.
00:36I mean, he's still a very young man,
00:39and you tend to think he's already, what,
00:40one and a half decades old in international cricket
00:42and for Indian cricket.
00:44Welcome, Parthiv Patel.
00:45If anything one needs to learn from you, it's resilience.
00:49It's the commitment.
00:50It's the determination.
00:51And believe you me, that's something I really,
00:54really celebrate in you.
00:56So well done, and at these times,
00:58these are kind of qualities which
01:00will put us all in great stead.
01:01But good to see you, Parthiv.
01:03How is this season shaping up?
01:05Thank you for this warm welcome.
01:07I don't know whether I'm worthy enough of deserving this,
01:10but thank you once again.
01:13Talking about the season, it's been very good here so far.
01:16We've had a very good camp.
01:19RCB has done really well to make sure
01:21that we are in a secure, viable, and in a happy place as well.
01:26At this point of time, there is only one thing.
01:28You talked about resilience.
01:29You talked about the smile and all of that.
01:33That's something which we've faced
01:35throughout these seven, eight months.
01:37And just to be happy to be on the ground
01:40and knowing that by just playing cricket,
01:44we will be able to provide a smile to the face of the world.
01:48That's the point, Parthiv, isn't it?
01:50I mean, the IPL is not simply about Virat or MS or anyone.
01:54It is about the optimism and the positivity
01:57that it will bring for a billion people.
01:59It is about you and me.
02:01It is about the players.
02:03It is about my profession as well,
02:04or the groundsmen or the trainers
02:06or the technical staff or the broadcaster.
02:09The whole cricket industry depends on this tournament.
02:12So in that sense, it's great that the tournament is happening,
02:15isn't it?
02:15Absolutely.
02:16I think it's great for all of us, especially
02:19the domestic players, ground staff,
02:22and as you spoke about, the amount of work
02:25that's been put in behind the scenes is unbelievable.
02:28As you rightly and correctly put,
02:30that IPL is a very, very big platform
02:35and a very big place from where a lot of people
02:38can earn their money.
02:39And I'm sure BCCI has done a great job in just making sure
02:44that we conduct a tournament.
02:45For me, the fact that this is happening,
02:47we were talking about numbers in India.
02:50We love our numbers.
02:51But we only talk about recoveries and cases
02:53and deaths, unfortunately, for the last six months.
02:55For God's sake, we want asking rates.
02:57We want sixes by Parthiv Patel.
02:59We want catches taken.
03:00We want wickets taken.
03:01We really want our sense of normalcy back,
03:04at least the new normal.
03:05Not everything is bad, for God's sake.
03:06So in that sense, I can't wait for this tournament.
03:09What's the kind of mood you are getting in the UAE, Parthiv?
03:13Within your team, is everyone excited?
03:15Are people still apprehensive?
03:16What it's like?
03:17There is not a single percent of apprehension
03:21in our team at all.
03:22As I said, the vibe is brilliant.
03:24You know, the way we've been taken care of.
03:26We feel extremely secure here in the UAE
03:30because the kind of bubble has been created.
03:32You spoke about numbers and all of that.
03:34Yes, you know, the kind of pandemic we all are going through,
03:37it's not going to get over soon.
03:40But, you know, it is very important that,
03:43you know, through playing cricket,
03:44if we could provide that message of staying safe,
03:48making sure that, you know, social distancing
03:51and then sanitization and all of that is so important.
03:53It's in our hand, you know,
03:55that we got to make sure that, you know,
03:57we take right steps so that if we say that
04:00asking rate or a required rate comes down
04:02and then, you know, in numbers,
04:05if you want to just relate to cricket thing,
04:07the required run rate comes down.
04:09In that case, the COVID positive cases come down.
04:13In fact, Parthiv Patel, just to put it on record,
04:16walked into this interview wearing his mask.
04:18So that's how important it is for him.
04:21He's making a statement at every step.
04:23That's why he's important for you and me, ladies and gentlemen.
04:26He walked in with his mask.
04:27He's kept it by his side.
04:29That bio bubble is almost like a fortress.
04:32You can't reach it.
04:33Parthiv, your team has made an interesting,
04:35very interesting campaign and statement
04:37about supporting COVID heroes.
04:39Your thoughts on that?
04:39I'm very honored to be, you know, part of this campaign.
04:43I feel blessed that I'm playing for a side which has,
04:46you know, take up this campaign,
04:48my COVID heroes.
04:49It's unbelievable, you know,
04:51that I've had a first-hand experience at my home.
04:54My dad's been in a coma for one and a half years
04:58and we have help at home for him.
05:00And his wife was pregnant
05:04and she was going to give birth,
05:07but he didn't go because he thought that if he leaves the house
05:10and someone else comes in,
05:11so we don't know whether he'll have that infection or not.
05:14And he cannot take that chance with my dad being not well.
05:18And unfortunately, his child actually passed away in two days.
05:23He couldn't even see them,
05:24but he was so committed to job that, you know,
05:27that's something that's changed my life.
05:29I asked him, you know,
05:31what do you, or why are you doing this?
05:34And he was like, it's all karma with God's grace.
05:38I will get another child,
05:39but here I'm committed to this job
05:41and I have to make sure that I do it.
05:42And even while I was leaving house
05:44and he said only one thing,
05:46you don't, sir, you don't worry about anything.
05:48You just go out there and play.
05:50I will take care of your dad.
05:52And then, you know, these are the heroes,
05:53you know, we should worship.
05:55I think, you know,
05:56these are the people who sacrifice their own life
05:59and that's something is very admirable.
06:01It's an unbelievable story.
06:03I mean, my heart goes out to that person
06:06and to every person who has fought like this
06:10with his or her life.
06:11Parthiv, coming to your own game,
06:12how's that shaping up?
06:13How are you, how are you feeling?
06:14I mean, six months you've not played,
06:16but when it actually hit bat on ball,
06:18how was that?
06:19Tell me about, tell me about that.
06:20It was brilliant.
06:21You know, I actually,
06:23if I tell you,
06:24bat, I liked wicket keeping more,
06:25you know, for me,
06:27not catching the ball for six months.
06:29And as soon as I started with hard ball,
06:31I actually feel the difference that,
06:33you know, the hands are not softer.
06:35You know, I have to start catching with tennis ball
06:38and then gradually go into the hard ball.
06:40And that sound of hitting the ball,
06:42ball to bat is unbelievable.
06:43That sweet sound, what do you get?
06:45And, you know, we used to,
06:46I used to get dream of those things,
06:48you know, when will I be able to play cricket again?
06:51Or when will I, you know,
06:52wear all these pads and everything.
06:54And one of these, one of those days,
06:56I actually thought of wearing all my kit
06:58and, you know, going around in the house
07:00just to feel comfortable,
07:02whether I'll be comfortable again
07:03wearing pads and helmet and all.
07:05We all like doing what we do.
07:07We love playing cricket.
07:08And that's something which was missing
07:10in six, seven months.
07:11And I'm glad to be back on the field
07:13and glad to be, you know, in the shape I am.
07:15Overall, about team balance,
07:17Parthiv looks a better side to me,
07:18especially at the inclusion of Adam Zandpaar,
07:21conditions like this,
07:22the kind of form he's in
07:23in that England-Australia series.
07:25And your batting depth now,
07:28obviously, sort of overall,
07:29I think this is one of the better,
07:31if not the best RCD side
07:32in the last few years, Parth?
07:34To me, I think that's a great, great,
07:36a great side.
07:37I think, you know, if you look at the options,
07:39there aren't only 11.
07:41We've got options, we've got replacements,
07:42we've got all-rounders in numbers
07:44in Washington, Shivam Dubey,
07:46Chris Morris, Shabazz from Calcutta.
07:48And then there's someone, I think,
07:50a very exciting talent, Dev Dutt's there.
07:52You know, he's done really well
07:54in domestic cricket.
07:56And the great inclusion of Zandpaar,
07:57understanding the situation.
07:58So I feel, I personally feel that,
08:00you know, there is going to be
08:01a very good season for us.
08:03Not only the personals we have,
08:04but the kind of atmosphere we are in.
08:06Everyone's so happy.
08:07You know, when you walk around in the hotel
08:09or when we go in the bus,
08:11there's everyone smiling.
08:12There's always positive energy
08:13flowing around in the dressing room
08:15and on the ground.
08:16Right from Virat to the last man
08:20who's there, the help we get.
08:22It's great, great energy.
08:23And your captain, obviously,
08:24is going into a new phase of his life.
08:26This will mean much
08:27if he wins this tournament.
08:28I mean, as a tournament,
08:30he'll celebrate his birthday
08:31on 5th November, would be father.
08:33In every sense, the world's coming together
08:35for Virat Kohli.
08:36I've never seen him so relaxed.
08:37You know, he's so relaxed.
08:39He's so, so he's enjoying his game.
08:41You know, just talking to him
08:43off the field or on the field,
08:44he's into it.
08:45And, you know, I love the way,
08:48obviously, he inspires a lot of people
08:50around in the team and in the world.
08:52But the way he's been moving around
08:54is so relaxed and is quite
08:56looking forward to the tournament.
08:58People keep talking about this,
08:59that with such a great side,
09:01you've not won it, you've not won it.
09:02Does it play at all
09:04on the minds of players
09:05or it's a new season?
09:06Forget what's happened.
09:08We will give it our best.
09:09Results not often in our hands,
09:10but in terms of preparation,
09:12we've done our best.
09:13That's the mindset which
09:14everybody should have.
09:16And we have that.
09:17You can't carry the baggage
09:19of last 12 IPLs or last year.
09:22You know, it's something
09:23never going to help us.
09:24So that's something
09:24we are not thinking of at all.
09:26What we will be doing is,
09:27you know, we can just be prepared
09:29for this new season.
09:31It is in our hand.
09:32You know, try and make sure
09:33that we all, we do the process right.
09:36And that's something we've been doing.
09:37And as I said, we are quite positive.
09:39We've done our preparations right.
09:41We've done the process right.
09:42And we are quite positive.
09:43So it's not only double P,
09:45you know, it's triple P.
09:46We've been ready.
09:48And hopefully, you know,
09:49this is the year for us.
09:50Fingers crossed, it is.
09:51It is, it is.
09:52And when that shot from Parthiv Patel
09:54lands in the gallery
09:56or when that catch goes
09:57into your hands, I'll celebrate.
09:58I will celebrate, as I said,
10:01for the resilience, commitment
10:02and determination
10:03that you bring on the field.
10:04That's what is necessary in this DNH.
10:06Thank you very much, Parthiv Patel.
10:07You've been a rock star.
10:08For me, as I keep saying,
10:11more people like you
10:12on the cricket field
10:14will mean more people get inspired.
10:16That's what is important in this DNH.
10:18And a smile matters
10:19to every individual in India.
10:22Thank you very, very much, Parthiv Patel
10:23for speaking to me.
10:24Thank you, Huryana.