Soliloquy

I first met Tapasi Raju Yerra in the summer of 2012 when we were both playing an inter-academy T20 tournament in a place called Bandlaguda, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. We played against each other and he took a five-wicket haul in that game (he didn’t get me, I remember!).  I remember thinking that this bloke was something special- someone who thought out of the box, which was not a usual trait to find among fast bowlers. I didn’t know back then that we’d end up as teammates for the best part of four cricketing seasons and become the best of friends, but now that he’s decided to hang up his boots, I thought that I had something to give back to him. This article was the best that I could manage.

I met him again when I started training at the St.John’s Sports Coaching Foundation and found his bowling more dangerous to face than the others. He had a nagging line and was crafty when it came to inswingers and off-cutters. I soon joined him at St.Andrews High School and played out a couple of seasons together there. I got to know Tapasi personally and found him to be someone who thought a lot about the game and had a terrific cricket-mind. He was an intelligent bloke and knew a lot of cricket nous. In a way, I found him to be quite like me.

We joined Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in a decision we took mutually, after having cleared our matriculation exam. We played another couple of seasons together there and it was after the end of our class 12 cricket season that he told me that he’d had enough of cricket. He told me that the game no longer held any excitement and failed to arouse any interest in him. It would be best for him to hang up his boots and pursue a career in some other field, he thought. I tried to talk him out of it but it was in vain. He’d made up his mind and wasn’t going to be stirred. The pain of never having played representative cricket may have got to him as well. I gave up convincing him after some valiant efforts because you don’t take a decision like that lightly. He had obviously given it a lot of thought and spent nights going over and over it.

It was sad to see him go and getting affected by situations which rose away from his control. His love for cinematography was widely-known and in the end, I think that was what pulled him away from the summer game. It was a fact that he received a lot of help from the PET of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Dr P Ramu who tried to counsel him and make him change his mind, though most of my teammates at Bhavan’s might think otherwise.

Tapasi was one of the few friends with whom I had a lot in common. He, like me, loved reading books, appreciated music and most of all, was a cricket nerd. I’ve already said a lot about his bowling but he was a very good batsman who always provided with handy contributions when the chips were down. This was one trait that I tried to imbibe in myself from him- never to let go even when everything seemed lost. His flick shot off the middle stump could’ve been bettered only by the great VVS Laxman, of whom he was an ardent follower.

Tapasi had a good laugh at someone else’s expense whenever I cracked a joke. I must also thank him for bearing with some of my illogical and impractical jokes, which could’ve been played only upon him! He loved life and having a good time out with his mates and I’d like to think that eventually it was the grind which got to him. He was no longer having any fun and was upset at the rigorous training which all of us had to go through. It was unfortunate that cricket had to lose out on a special talent but I hope that our loss turns out to be cinema’s gain.

I’ll always wonder why a bloke so smart about cricketing nous was never made captain in any of the teams he played. Perhaps I, as the vice-captain had given him some tough competition! It was fun to be a part of all the dressing rooms that I shared with Tapasi and I will miss the camaraderie we shared. I may miss out on a cricket teammate but will cling on to this friendship forever. We shall remain the best of mates. I wish him all the success in life.

For all that and his flick off the middle stump, Thank you, Tap!