A MUMBAI BOYHOOD
My journey began in the Sahitya Sahawas colony in Bandra, Mumbai.
As a young boy, I was far from the disciplined cricketer the world would
later know; I was a mischievous child, often finding myself in trouble. It
was my brother, Ajit, who saw something in me that I hadn't yet
recognized. He was the one who took me to Ramakant Achrekar Sir at
Shivaji Park. Those early mornings on the back of Sir's scooter,
traveling from one match to another, defined my foundation. The
famous one-rupee coin trick—where Sir would place a coin on the
stumps and if I didn't get out, the coin was mine—became my most
prized possession.
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