‘It’s very tough, don’t know how players travel with kitbags’ Mumbai players take the train

The young Madhya Pradesh team at Andheri station recently

The emerging Madhya Pradesh (MP) team's 10-day Mumbai tour ended with a surprise element. After they had several new experiences, playing at Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan and a few other city grounds, coach Chandrakant Pandit capped it off by throwing in a local train journey from Churchgate to Andheri last Friday evening and it turned out to be an ‘eye-opener' for the boys.

Chambal-based MP U-23 wicketkeeper-batter Saksham Purohit revealed that coach Pandit told them just half-an-hour before about their journey from Churchgate to Andheri in a Vasai fast local. "It was such a tough and very different experience to travel in the Mumbai local and that too in evening rush hour. Though we didn't carry our kitbags, we struggled and somehow managed to get out at Andheri because there was hardly any space to move," Purohit told mid-day over the phone from Indore on Monday.

"How the Mumbai cricketers travel daily in these local trains and that too with their kitbags is shocking. I think it makes them mentally tougher to fight it out on the ground. This journey taught me not to complain about anything ever in life," Purohit added.

Gwalior-based MP U-23 left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Vishnu Bhardwaj reckoned it was an inspiring journey. "We've never experienced such tough travel in MP. It was an eye-opening experience for us. Despite all the difficulties, the people of Mumbai never shy away from hard work; their dedication and hustle are truly inspiring," Bhardwaj told mid-day.

Meanwhile, Pandit, a former India wicketkeeper-batter said: "I wanted the boys to experience local train traveling in rush hour, and show them how Mumbai players are used to it on a daily basis, and still battle it out on the cricket pitch. I'm hoping our [MP] players realise how to overcome struggles and give their best."