Emotions soar at Ekana as Kaif, Raina unite for trophy presentation
While admiring the Ekana Stadium, Kaif also reminisced about his early days in the game at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium.
LUCKNOW Emotions ran high for former Indian cricket stars Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina as they carried the glittering Cricket World Cup trophy at the traditional commencement of the World Cup match between hosts India and defending champions England. This event took place at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium before a full-house Sunday crowd.
Both Kaif and Raina hold different memories associated with the World Cup. Team India, including Kaif, failed to secure the World Cup in 2003, while Raina was part of the triumphant 2011 World Cup-winning squad. Kaif expressed his emotional response to the organizers’ choice of him and Raina to carry the World Cup replica just before the match.
“I became emotional when asked to carry the cup alongside Raina as it reminded me of the 2003 World Cup when we couldn’t secure the victory,” Kaif shared during his commentary, responding to fellow commentator and former India captain Ravi Shastri, on Sunday. “It was indeed a proud moment for me.”
Kaif, hailing from Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), also conveyed to Shastri the richness of the cricket culture in Uttar Pradesh, which has produced numerous cricketers for Team India, such as Gopal Sharma, Gyanendra Pandey, Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Sudeep Tyagi.
“Uttar Pradesh is a vast state with a wealth of cricketing talent, originating from cities like Prayagraj, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, and more. Our two exceptional bowlers from Team India, Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, hail from Meerut,” he stated, adding, “We have a strong tradition of cricket hostels and sports colleges, and most of our cricketers emerge from these institutions.”
While admiring the Ekana Stadium, Kaif also reminisced about his early days in the game at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium, where he achieved a significant milestone by leading Uttar Pradesh to victory in the Ranji Trophy in 2005-06, based on a first-innings lead against Bengal.
Shastri also prompted Kaif to recall his remarkable performance against England in the 2006 NatWest Trophy, which led India to victory at Lord’s in a thrilling final against the hosts. “During the match, England skipper Nasser Hussain referred to me as a ‘bus driver,’ and I responded by stating that a bus driver can also win a match, and that’s more important than anything,” Kaif recounted.
Kaif further acknowledged that he was consistently addressed as ‘Bhai Sahab’ (Brother) by everyone, and he always cherished this level of respect. “Even when I made it to Team India after winning the Ranji Trophy for Uttar Pradesh, cricketers like Yuvraj Singh, and others also used to call me ‘bhai sahab.’ It’s a tremendous honour for me,” he added.
