Young sportsmen often look forward to the chance of picking the mind of a legend. That can help them improve their own game and rise in stature.
Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan got this opportunity when they interacted with West Indian legend Brian Lara recently.
Gill spoke of how he admired Lara’s batting, especially the way he looked to dominate bowlers from the start.
“All my memories of him is smashing the bowlers and taking on the bowlers whenever I used to see him, especially in red ball,” Gill said. “You used to be one of those people who used to go and straightaway, from ball one, you would take on the bowlers and take on the challenge, and that really inspired us as kids, to be able to [learn] how to dominate the game in all formats.”
Kishan spoke about being overwhelmed when Lara messaged him on Instagram. " I was actually in shock, like how come you texted me,” Kishan said. “Such a legend of this game texted me and I was really very happy about it.
"So performing here (Brian Lara Stadium and Academy in Trinidad), where your name is there on the board, it was really special for me to perform here, and I love to watch highlights of your innings, how you used to do that (high backlift) and play shots," Kishan said.
Lara was highly complimentary of India’s cricketing talent, saying the country had enough quality players to field three international teams.
"India is like a second home to me. Looking at the young promising cricketers in India, it is something that I've grown up doing... And just to see the talent here with this Indian team and so many different teams that they have at the moment, they can pick a second XI and even a third XI,” Lara said.
It is tradition for Lara to invite teams for dinner at his mansion whenever there was a game in town and Gill and Kishan were excited about the prospect of breaking bread with the superstar.
