Caught off the Hook.............

 Recently the Cricket universe celebrated the 72nd birthday of the Indian batting great - Sunil Gavaskar. Reflecting on the same I have brought you an amazing story about the birth of the Little Master!

We go back 72 years, all the way to 10th of July 1949. Just two years after Independence, most of the Indian subjects were still not well off economically. Our hero also came from a not so different background. 

Must have been a busy day at the Purandare's Maternity Hospital opposite to the Chowpatty at Girgaum with heavy showers adding to all worries of the to-be-mothers admitted there. Born at 8.42 PM Sunny paaji was the last of the kids to be born on the day with many from his joint family visiting him eventually till midnight. 

After a couple of days, his uncle visited his nephew again, at the hospital. Sleeping peacefully on the cot of the general ward was the baby when, the sharp-eyed uncle noticed and instantly told Mrs. Mrunalini Gavaskar that it was not their baby. He had seen a small hole near the ear when he visited them just after the birth. Then they searched the complete ward after telling the authorities about the mistake and claiming that a exchange might have occurred at the common baby bath. 

Later they found Sunil sir besides a fisherwoman and completed the necessary formalities.

Had not been noticed in the hospital, he would not have played those glorious straight drives but caught fish straight off the hook!

But life takes such turns, because Sunil Gavaskar is one of the batsmen caught out FISHING outside the off-stump!

Another fun fact - Sunil Gavaskar was the first baby on the register of babies in the hospital, showing how to open from such a tender age :)

                                                                                                                                - Shounak Kulkarni