For a short 17-day tournament, Mumbai's top medical practitioners added cricket to their busy schedules and played against each other. Who won? Everyone, it seems
Last month saw an interesting T20 cricket tournament being played wherein some of the top doctors and surgeons in the city tried their skills on the cricket pitch. Organised by Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre, the Kirtilal M Mehta Memorial Cricket Tournament saw participation from 16 city hospitals. In the finals, Tata Memorial Hospital clinched the game from KEM, winning the match by five wickets. So, how did these otherwise busy doctors take time from a demanding schedule and commit themselves to a tournament? Hear it from the horse's mouth.
'It's not hard for doctors to get along'
Opening batsman, off-spin bowler
Dr Brijesh Tople, 41
Consultant radiologist, Fortis Hospital
Since childhood Dr Tople has been a "sports freak". The opening batsman and off-spin bowler has been playing leather ball tournament for seven years now. He was also a regular in his college days at Nair Hospital. The Thane resident has been a part of TMCC (Thane Medicos Cricket Club) as well. "It is not hard for doctors to get along; you like the sport, you come together," he tells us.
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For this tournament, Dr Tople wore the captain's hat. "There were some new faces in the team, rest familiar. Since we have been playing together in various tournaments, we are well-versed with each other's game." He had to conduct several tests to form a team, identifying strengths and weaknesses in his players. "Making time was not easy, for the team as a whole. Personally, I ensure I practice at least for an hour, as frequently as possible, at the Thane cricket stadium. I start at 6.30 am," he says. Having a strong support system [within the hospital] is key, he feels.
"Since my boss is also into sports, he understands the rigour that's needed. He is helpful in moving things around to accommodate game needs, while balancing them with the core medical duties," says Dr Tople. While his team lost to SRL Raheja, he maintains that it's crucial to remain level-headed. "I think as doctors, that comes naturally to us. We are used to approaching a problem clinically."
'Now, we know each other better as persons'
Right arm medium pace bowler
Dr Nilesh Goyal, 46
Dermatologist, Lilavati Hospital
Unlike in other hospitals, where it is par for course for doctors to play in tournaments, at Lilavati, it's not as frequent. The reason why when Dr Goyal was approached to be captain and form a team, there were few hiccups. "There is a team of staff members, but for doctors, this was new.
Some of them being senior and not fit for sports, deemed it was too short a notice to prepare. But, despite these hiccups, we managed to put a good team together." Dr Samir Parikh, at 55 was the oldest player while the youngest one was in his early 20s. The team would practice on a ground across the road from the hospital between 7 am and 9 am. "I was helped a lot by the staff team, which is a winning team. They would give us bowling, catching and fielding practice. It takes a while to get used to the drill.
Initially we'd carry the pain in our limbs through the work day, eventually it got better. I think those three weeks of practice we felt the most fit. Also playing as a team helps know each other better as persons, not just doctors," says the right arm medium pace bowler. Match day, however, was not the ideal one. "We were playing against Bombay Hospital, and we restricted them to 154. But, there was a brain fade in the second innings and the team just collapsed. We were nearly winning. But, we have learnt from our mistakes. Now the plan is to practise well and hit back."
'MBBS teaches you patience'
All rounder
Dr Satyanarayan Wadne, 26 Medical Officer, JJ Hospital
For 26-year-old Dr Wadne, who had captained the JJ team in his college days for two years, it was an exciting prospect to play this tournament at MIG Cricket Club grounds in Bandra. In fact, that was a major reason why he signed up. "Over the years, I have learnt how the game helps you carry out your duties as doctor too.
Pursuing MBBS teaches you patience, being a doctor teaches you to analyse situations, think under pressure and handle disappointment - each lesson applies on the field too. The way I understand my patients, the same way I need to understand my team mates."
The JJ Hospital team qualified for the finals of four tournaments this year. "During the games I keep meeting senior doctors from other hospitals, who are my idols. There is so much to learn from them, on ground and off-ground. Our team has good players, I'm an all-rounder. And, as a senior player, I have to make my team feel comfortable, especially when we lose a match."
'There's no hierarchy on the ground'
Opening batsman
Dr Shailesh Shrikhande, 47 Head of Cancer Surgery Department, Tata Memorial Hospital
Back in the 80s, Dr Shrikhande used to swing the bat with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli. Before getting into medical school in '91, he was a key player in U16 and U15 league, "which was hugely competitive at that time". Hardly surprising then, that the opening batsman had a high score of 47 in this tournament. When he went on to pursue medicine, cricketing had to take a backseat, until 2012, when young doctors in the hospital decided to play a friendly match against the senior doctors.
"That marked the start of my second innings, of sorts. What started off as a passing interest, quickly became a serious pursuit. I realised I was still able to play fairly well." Since then he has been part of tournaments regularly, which included doctors' leagues and inter-hospital matches. "Twenty years of discipline in building a high-intensity surgical career is being applied to the game too. Twice a week I practice in the mornings from 7 am to 8.15 am at the Matunga Gymkhana. I don't play competitive matches on weekdays, I leave those for Sundays. I play as much as I can from October to end of May.
The monsoons I dedicate to my academic work, that requires me to travel around the world. Being organised keeps me going." The team clinched the tournament at the finals where they played against KEM Hospital. Dr Shrikhande hand-picked the young bowlers. "I was in Zurich during the final match for work, but the team called me to give me the good news. The beauty of the game is that there's no hierarchy on the ground. And, the rapport that develops between the players goes a long way in helping them on the work front too."
Also read: West Indian boy looking to be a doctor wants to be cricketer now. Why? Find out...
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