Mumbai Indians' batsman R Sathish on how his cricketing journey was made possible by his widowed mother
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Mother made cricketing journey possible for Sathish
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Mumbai Indians' batsman R Sathish on how his cricketing journey was made possible by his widowed mother
R Sathish has become a vital cog in the Mumbai Indians team with some valuable contributions in pressure situations during the first-leg of the Indian Premier League. He may not be an international star yet, but to reach where he has in cricket today is an inspiring tale. After all, he comes from Trichy, a village 300 kms away from Chennai and it did not exist on the Indian cricket map when he started out.
The affable all-rounder owes his cricketing success to his mother, R Subha, who raised him almost single-handedly and was the one to back him to pursue the game despite financial struggles.
Ironic
Ironic as it may sound, Subha watched her son play in a competitive game for the first time only last Tuesday when Mumbai took on the Super Kings in Chennai.
"She's been everything to me. My dad passed away 23 years ago, so she's the one who raised me. She always wanted me to do what I wanted to do. I was crazy about cricket, playing in the streets, knocking around even at home. Seeing, my enthusiasm for cricket, she always encouraged me to play and enrolled me in a cricket camp. Even in our times of struggle, she ensured I had a good bat. We were not well off then, but somehow she used to organise money for the bats," 29-year-old Sathish told MiD DAY.
Tuesday's game against Chennai Super Kings had a special meaning for Sathish. It was a dream come true for him, playing atu00a0 the packed Chidambaram Stadium with friends and well-wishers from his home town Trichy, cheering wildly for him. However, it was his mum's presence in the stands that made it a memorable day for Sathish.
"This was the first time she saw me play. She had come once to watch me 16 years ago in an under-13 game at the Chepauk 'B' ground, but I was dropped and she never came again," revealed Sathish.
The MI player's only disappointment is that he could not repay her with a befitting performance on Tuesday. He was out early and MI lost only their second game in IPL 3.
"The dream to see her in the stands was fulfilled, but I am sure she wanted her son to get some runs. That is still pending," said Sathish.
The CSK game was an odd failure as Sathish performs his role for MI whenever the situation presents itself.
He has impressed with his cameos under pressure and lively fielding. "My mother is watching all the games on TV. She's feeling really great and proud," said Sathish, who is also a qualified mechanical engineer.
Does she get too involved in his cricket like most excited parents? "She never says anything about my cricket. She's only worried about whether I have eaten well," Sathish signed off.u00a0
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