It's easy to get carried away.............but stay grounded

Let me start on a light note. Even in book cricket, you will find it virtually impossible to score a thousand runs. It is just unthinkable.

To put things into perspective, not many times are you left speechless. And it is something that would put you in that position. Any form of the game. To not commit a mistake for that amount of time and to keep connecting the ball for that long is something incredible, to say the least.

Mumbai school circuit has always been robust, especially when it comes to batsmen. I have seen two outstanding schoolboys (Kambli and Tendulkar) plunder tons of runs against hapless bowling attacks since my schooldays.

But over the last decade, there has been more than one instance of a run-machine in schools finding it difficult to elevate to the next level. The world has evolved and so has the media. I am sure he would have given dozens of interviews and would have been approached by numerous talent scouts by now.

But he has to realise that it’s too early for him. It’s imperative for him to keep his head on his shoulders. It’s very important for his parents, for his coaches, for his senior players to keep him grounded. Of course, what he has done has never been achieved but there are many other things which have not been achieved.

Just look around, and you will get a good perspective. It’s important for him to keep looking. I know it’s easy to say for us but you have to do it. He needs to be proud of what he has achieved but at the same time he has to keep looking around, and just take this as a stepping stone. He has laid the foundation for building a career and now it’s up to him how to shape it up.

Many would feel that coming from a humble background, it’s easier for him to get carried away. But I wouldn’t say that. It’s entirely up to the individual and the environment that he grows up in. There will be successes, there will be failures. I hope he is a humble guy and I am sure he would settle down. At the moment, he is bound to be high and he would enjoy the wave but I hope he enjoys the lull later on as well.

It is often said that after a huge knock, the next innings differentiates the ordinary from the exceptional. But I would say forget about the next knock, each of his innings over the next five years would be important. Everyone will be watching what this kid is doing. But the fact that he has made international news at the age of 15 means there is something to be tapped. You need to keep an eye on him. And he needs to stay grounded.

(Amol Muzumdar was part of Mumbai’s eight Ranji Trophy titles. Having retired as the second-highest scorer in Ranji Trophy, he is now a television expert)