My father was so against me playing cricket that he had burnt my kit once: Rahul Sharma

Twenty four year old Rahul Sharma’s is a heart wrenching story. The Jalandhar-born lanky leg spinner is the latest sensation in Indian bowling attack. He recently made a dream debut against the West Indies in Indore and picked up three wickets on the very day Virender Sehwag scored a 219 to create a world record.

It’s not new that Rahul suffered from Bell’s palsy, a rare condition where the one side of the face is paralyzed due to non-functioning of a nerve. The story of how he woke up one morning to realise that his right side of the face had become numb and had no movement is known to many in the cricketing circle. While chatting up with the humble cricketer that he is, it would certainly remind one of how a player needs to have a mighty heart and self-belief to over come such stark realities to clinch success in a sport.

In a candid interview with sportskeeda.com, Rahul Sharma shares his emotional story, his battle with the rare disease, his interactions with legends Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist and Anil Kumble. He also talks about a battle he had to fight within the boundaries of his home, against his policeman father who strictly opposed Rahul’s decision to play cricket.

Excerpts:

Nandini: You suffered from Bell’s palsy a few years ago. Can you tell us about that phase in your life…

Rahul: I was in the Deccan Chargers Camp being held in Mumbai. I had played well the initial two days of the camp and I even got into the top twenty. During the camp, one day when I woke up, I could not feel anything on the right side of my face. I was really shocked and didn’t know what happened. I was trying to brush my teeth and I had absolutely no sensation. Despite that I went to the ground and we had a practice match that day. In the match I ended up getting Andrew Symonds wicket. At that moment, Adam Gilchrist walked up to me and said, “Smile mate, you got a big wicket.” That’s when I told him that I am trying to smile but I am not able to.

Gilchrist immediately asked me to go meet the physio and that’s when the physio told me that I had bell’s palsy.

Nandini: How difficult was this period for you?

Rahul: It was a very difficult period in my life. With so much difficulty I had got an opportunity to play in the IPL, and just when I was getting a big break this happened to me. It was a very disheartening phase and my mother used to cry on the phone to me every night. But it was only because of the support I got from my team, especially Adam Gilchrist that I got to stay on in the camp. The doctors insisted that I should not play for three weeks and if I did I could lose my vision, but I did not want to return home without playing a single match.

I had a long chat with Gilly bhai (Adam Gilchrist) in his room and he told me not to worry and that I will get a chance to play. He even asked the physio not to tell anyone else about my condition because the moment the IPL organisers or my team owners would get to know that I have an injury or something my contract would have been cancelled and I would have been sent back home.

Nandini: Despite your sensitive condition, you got a chance to play the IPL. Take us through your first break…

Rahul: I could not play the first six matches as the medicines I was suppose to take came under the banned substance list and it took me a while to get a nod from BCCI to permit me to take the particular medicine. In Deccan Chargers’ seventh game, Gilly bhai asked me if I want to bowl because the wicket was really good. My condition then was still the same but I wanted to take a chance and said, “why not.”

Though I had blurry vision on my right eye, and I could not close my right eye a lot of dust would get into my eye and playing under lights was really hard. After every over I would go and put drops in my eye. But that was not what really bothered me. What scared me was, I got hit for a six in the first ball that I bowled. That’s when I told myself, “Forget getting another chance. My career is over.” But then Gilly bhai came to me and said,“This is T20 and this is how you will get hit.” He asked me not to take tension and play my natural game. I ended up getting AB de Villers wicket in the last ball of my first over and that’s when things began to shape up for me.

Nandini: Are you still reminded of that phase where you suffered bell’s palsy? Also, have you fully recovered from it?

Rahul: I don’t think about it anymore. It’s only when the media asks me about it that I am reminded of what I went through. Otherwise I have come out of it. It was like a nightmare for me. Now, I have recovered well. Now, the rest of the face is fine except my eyebrows. I still can’t move my eyebrows. Maybe those three weeks if I had not played any cricket and rested I would have recovered fully by now, but I wanted to take a chance and I think that chance has paid off well.

Nandini: What sort of rapport do you share with Adam Gilchrist?

Rahul: Gilchrist is like my older brother. It was only because of him that I got the confidence to play despite suffering from something like bell’s palsy. He constantly supported me and even now we keep in touch. On the day of my debut game also he called from Australia and wished me for my match. I respect him a lot.

Nandini: You have been pitted as the next Anil Kumble in Indian cricket. How much do you follow his style and tell us about your interactions with Kumble.

Rahul: Ever since I was a kid I have been following Kumble. I have seen a lot of his bowling videos and I try to bowl like him as much as I can but I obviously can’t be like Kumble. He is too great a player. It’s been about a year since I have been interacting with Kumble and whenever I am in NCA he comes and watches me bowl. He has been giving me a lot of bowling tips and I am working on them.

Nandini: Did you talk to Kumble before your debut match?

Rahul: Yes, I spoke to him on the day of the match. I had called him in the morning and he just told me to stick to my basics and not do anything new. He gave me confidence that I will do well and that it would be a good match for me.

Nandini: Can you tell us if you are learning anything in particular from him?

Rahul: He is teaching me how to turn the ball with my last three fingers. Turn the ball from below and keep the delivery short. Something like a googly but it is not. It’s really tough and I have not been able to pick it up completely.

Nandini: In this year’s IPL you took the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar and then now in your debut game against West Indies, you got a chance to share the dressing room with him. What was that like?

Rahul: It’s obviously a dream to take Sachin paaji’s wicket and also get a chance to play with him. I first of all thanked him for recommending my name and he had spoken highly of me in the media and all that. He said I deserved all the recognition that I am getting today and there was no need to thank him. It really means a lot to me that he thinks highly of my game.

Nandini: Your father was never too supportive of you playing cricket. How hard was it to convince him?

Rahul: My father comes from a Police background and he put pressure on me to study well. He was never supportive of me playing cricket. He wanted me to join the Police force. He used to get so mad at me for playing cricket that he had burnt my kit once. It was only my mother who has been supportive right through my playing days. It was only after I got picked for India Under-19 squad that my dad sort of gave his consent.

Nandini: You were nick named ‘Venky’ and you got a chance to play under him during your India Under-19 stint. Why were you given that name?

Rahul: I used to bowl medium pace before and my style resembled Venkatesh Prasad a lot. That’s why all my friends had named me Venky. (laughs) Playing under Venky was a very enriching experience. Even now whenever he meets me he tells me I can bowl even better than Kumble and asks me not to feel pressurised.

Nandini: Now that you have made your dream debut, what’s your next goal?

Rahul: It is only because of my mother’s prayers that I got such a awesome chance to play. I never expected to get a break so soon. Now that I have made a start I want to stay on in the team for the next ten years and hopefully I will get a call to play the Australia ODIs.