There is a very old and famous saying, “behind every successful man, there stands a woman!” A woman, not necessarily a wife, could be a mother or perhaps a sister as well.
As we celebrate Mother's Day, here we bring you ace Indian cricketers' special mentions about their supermoms, who helped them to emerge as scintillating champions.
Rajni Tendulkar- Sachin Tendulkar
Who can forget Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell speech at Wankhede Stadium. The ace Indian cricketer, who made everyone stand up on their feet, had a special mention of his mother in his farewell speech.
"My mother, I don't know how she dealt with such a naughty child like me. I was not easy to manage. She must be extremely patient. For a mother, the most important thing is that her child remains safe and healthy, and fit. That was what she was most bothered and worried about. She took care of me for the last 24 years that I have played for India, but even before that, she started praying for me the day I started playing cricket. She just prayed and prayed and I think her prayers and blessings have given me the strength to go out and perform, so a big thank you to my mother for all the sacrifices,” Tendulkar had said.
Devaki Dhoni- MS Dhoni
Considered as one of the best finishers of the game, former India cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni also admits that he was emotionally very much connected to his mother and finds moms are no less than soldiers.
“It’s an initiative to appreciate the contribution of the mothers. If you ask me, it was always about how emotionally connected I was to my mom. It’s not like the dads are not there, they’re there, but just that we often don’t appreciate (the) mother’s role in the way we should. Often, we talk about soldiers and get patriotic before 26th January or 15th August. What’s important is (to) get up every day and thank them for what they are doing. We need to appreciate our mothers’ role the same way.”
Shabnam Singh- Yuvraj Singh
Despite being diagnosed with lung cancer, former team India cricketer Yuvraj Singh played a major role in Men in Blue’s World Cup win in 2011. Fighting a battle against cancer and making a comeback to the 22-yard was not easy for Yuvi. But, the left-handed batter never fails to make a special mention of his mother’s contribution to his fight for a new lease of life.
“Believe that my mother has given me birth twice -- first, obviously when I was born and second when I went through cancer. She never showed any emotion. She was always strong for me, and she really helped me through my journey... She always shows unconditional love and I am sure all the mothers around the world are doing that to protect their children."
Saroj Kohli-Virat Kohli
The run machine Virat Kohli is known for his hunger to win matches for India and aggressive nature. Virat who never fails to hit the gym and sweat it hard to maintain his fitness for the game, was used to getting scolded by her mother for becoming ‘too thin’.
"My mother used to scold me. She thinks I am too thin and should get more healthy. She always wanted to feed me well and wanted me to have more parathas. I don’t eat butter at home. She will understand the difference later I am sure," Kohli had said during an interview.
Pushpa Dravid-Rahul Dravid
Words like tough, gritty, and resolute describe Rahul Dravid, the former Indian cricketer and skipper. Popularly known as The Wall of Indian cricket, Dravid had released an emotional video-My Mother’s Scrapbook, back in 2015, sharing his life journey with his millions of fans. The batting maestro also heaped praise on his mother for the constant support to bring the best out of him.