After a very long time I am having this ‘new season blues’. It happens with every cricketer who is coming out of an off season. Anticipation of new season, expectations of doing well, and dream to take things forward in terms of your own and team performance, adds up to the excitement.  No matter how good was your last season, no matter how much one has performed at that time, when you are about to start a new season you have to start from the scratch. As in cricket, so in life, you are as good as your last ball. After a long time we got this kind of break so it’s extremely pleasing to have these familiar butterflies in the stomach.

Right now we are in the middle of this new tournament ‘Corporate Cup’. It’s a new tournament initiated by the BCCI where top corporate teams are fighting for the laurels. It’s an ideal way to prepare for the upcoming challenges as this will give us a good match practise before the Sri Lanka tour and the Champions trophy. You can spend loads of time in the nets and work on your skill, but nothing works like using those skills in the middle as you become more acquainted to the subtle changes you need to make, certain improvement you need to do before the real battle.

It’s also a great opportunity for all of us to represent our corporate that have supported us right from the beginning. In my case, Air India hired me when I was about to start my cricket and needed that support and cushioning. The first visiting card provided to me by them is still imprinted in my memory. I was appointed as an assistant manager in 1998 and that was first time I felt I have achieved something from cricket. And that’s the story of most of us who got these jobs when they didn’t have anything. So in a way it’s great for us to represent Air India and we would try our level best to win this title for our employers. I am thankful to BCCI for presenting us this platform.

Personally speaking, this tournament means yet another opportunity to prove my leadership skills. I am leading my side ‘Air India Blue’ in the tournament and players like MS Dhoni, RP Singh and Mohammed Kaif are playing under me. Last time when I was leading Mumbai Indians in 2008, I had to leave it in between because of reasons known to everyone. But bygones are bygones and I am looking forward to lift this trophy and to put the record straight.

I am sure we will carry our great one day form to the next season and we will do well in Sri Lanka. Last time we did extremely well over there and we are much aware of their conditions and pitches. So let’s hope that we will start the season on the right note and carry a good momentum to South Africa.

Cheers

Bhajj