New Delhi:
One of Delhi University's top colleges, Hindu College has a glorious tradition of producing luminaries who have achieved excellence in their chosen career paths.
So when these bigwigs come together on a common platform and assemble under the roof of their alma mater, there definitely has to be an underlying cause to champion such an august gathering.
Come this Saturday (February 11) and Hindu college shall witness a match between the notable alumni and the college cricket team.
The match can be dubbed as the clash of the 'Seasoned vs the Rookie', 'the Established vs the Emerging' but the theme shall be one, Go Hindu Go!!!!!
The College ground hailed as one of the best in the Delhi college circuit has been rightly chosen as the venue for the match and more importantly shall bring in that feeling of nostalgia among the players taking to the field.
There could not have been a better season to play cricket as the winter sun brings in that cosy factor amid the chill. The college diaspora shall be treated to an intense battle on a well rolled 22 yards amid the lush green outfield of the ground.
At OUR @hinducollege 😃@DeepDasgupta7 @kartikmurali @rekha_bhardwaj @rampalarjun @roshanabbas @tiscatime @writishpic.twitter.com/M8ufwq6TzX
— Rakesh Kumar (@aaravrakesh) February 7, 2017
There is already a buzz around the match among the Hinduites. The teams have been christened as 'HINDU XI' and 'HINDUITES FOREVER'. There is a sense of professionalism with the preparations for the match as the players shall don their cricket jerseys with their names written at the backs of the uniforms.
11th@ @hinducollege @roshanabbas @DeepDasgupta7 @GautamGambhir @kartikmurali @rekha_bhardwaj @tiscatime @writish @rampalarjun @cricketaakash pic.twitter.com/tNHy5twnNh
— Rakesh Kumar (@aaravrakesh) February 9, 2017
The match shall be played in the T20 format which is considered to be the most appealing format in today’s generation and has taken fancy to the older generation too. The fund raised from the match shall be used in the development of playing infrastructure for the student’s benefit.
News Nation Digital talked exclusively to Rakesh Kumar, ex-Hinduite who has played an integral part in bringing together the notable alumni on a common platform for the cricket match.
Q. How did this idea of a cricket match between the notable alumni and the present College team get conceived?
Hindu College is one among the three elite colleges to get the top NAAC A+ accreditation. This comes as yet another feather in the cap of the college considering the fact some of the well-known colleges in the Delhi University could not make the cut for getting the top notch certification. Moreover, Hindu celebrates its Founders Day on Feb 15 so there could not be a better time for the alumni to celebrate the double bonanza. After taking a consensus from the college diaspora , cricket came out as the clear cut winner as the theme for celebrating the landmark moment.
Q. How does rank Hindu among the other colleges in terms of its cricketing prowess in the Delhi University?
Rakesh was quick to respond by saying that Hindu college was proud to have an illustrious roll of honour when it comes to producing India’s cricketing stalwarts. Hindu has been the breeding ground for some of finest cricketers like Ajay Jadeja, Gautam Gambhir, Aakash Chopra and Deep Das Gupta (to name a few…) who achieved considerable success donning the Indian cricket jersey.
Q. As a Hinduite, whom do you consider as your greatest rival in Sports?
Rakesh didn't think twice and the answer was very obvious, straight from the heart of a Hinduite. Rakesh talked about Hindu College’s arch rivalry with next door neighbours St Stephens. While Hindu and Stephens share a long history of cricketing rivalry, the Hinduites have long respected the great legacy of St. Stephens as a premier academic institution known for producing some brilliant academicians and exceptional sportsmen.
Q. How do you rate the chances of your team 'Hinduites Forever' against the 'Hindu XI' ?
The 'Hindu XI' comprises of the cricketing stars of the college who would be raring to prove their mantle against their mentors.The 'Hinduites Forever' eleven comprise of stalwarts who have achieved excellence in different spheres of life. The squad would have a flavour of media, administration and film world.
While eminent film director Imtiaz Ali and Filmfare award winner Ritesh Shah could bring their creative side to the green turf, Kanti Prakash Jha famed for his role in MS Dhoni's Biopic as the player teaching Dhoni the famous 'Helicopter shot' shall also grace the field. Top civil servants holding key portfolio's like Manish Ranjan shall bring in their decision-making tactics to the team's benefit.Â
Last but not the least leading men from the media, Prakash Singh and Pratyush Ranjan would bring in an element of flair and panache to the side. Most importantly, the team shall be led by Ashu Dani who has been a seasoned first class player for Delhi in his heydeys.Â
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Q. Does the Hindu alumni network plan to have such events marking glorious moments of the college in the future ?
The vision is big. Hindu can leverage its strong alumni base which comprises of eminent sportsmen and notable personalities from the film fraternity. The alumni has envisaged a cricket match between the cricketers and film stars in the historic Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in the near future. In India, Bollywood and cricket are the two big driving forces which bring joy to the hearts of millions. So if cricketers lock horns against film stars on the cricket field, it is bound to create ripples. There is also a lucrative commercial element associated with the event and the funds garnered could be used in the development of the college's infrastructure.
