HT Brunch Cover Story: BFFs at first sight

At the photo shoot organised for us by JSW Sports, the agency that handles both their work, we thought this meant they’d respect each other. Give us some good shots. Make some good points about sports and life. But we were so, so wrong.

Far from merely respecting each other, Neeraj and Rishabh, within minutes of their meeting, got along like aloo and puri. So, what you see on these pages is completely different from what we’d thought it would be. Rather than a sports interview, what we documented was a super-charged, high-speed BFF relationship in the making.

In fact, by the end of it, when Neeraj and Rishabh left for an unscheduled dinner to continue their conversation, we couldn’t help but wonder: Could we perhaps call them Neerabh?

Twin stars

It all begins before the shoot. “I have massive respect for Neeraj,” Rishabh tells us animatedly. “He is India’s golden boy. I don’t have words to express my excitement for what he did at the Olympics.”

As the shoot sets up, Rishabh, the more media-savvy of the two, thanks to the popularity of his sport, helps camera-shy Neeraj through the process.

Neeraj has been facing the media for months now. But he’s still uncomfortable and thankful for Rishabh’s help. The cricketer, it seems, is good at putting people at ease. During the shoot, the chemistry and the camaraderie between the two is amazing. You’d never know that they’ve only just met.

“I don’t follow cricket much, but I still have heard a lot about Rishabh Pant,” Neeraj says. “He is a very skilful and hardworking player—and he is so confident and comfortable in front of the camera! His tips really helped me during the shoot.”

The two zillennials have far more in common than we’d originally thought. Neeraj and Rishabh both come from humble backgrounds, and have made it big on the sheer strength of their hard work and determination to succeed against all odds. In fact, they could almost be twins.

“Like me, Rishabh belongs to a regular family and had to travel long distances to follow his passion for cricket,” says Neeraj. “His focus was always on his training, just like mine. It felt good to hear that he too had faced struggles and then achieved so much in his career.”

Rishabh notes Neeraj’s humility. “He has done something phenomenal for India,” he says. “It will be very difficult for any other athlete to match that kind of success. But when I met him, he was so humble. The vibe he gives is homely.”

Rishabh believes that he and Neeraj are very similar, not just in terms of values, but even their outlook on life.

“Neeraj is straightforward. He does not want to fake anything. These are qualities I try to find in myself,” says Rishabh. “I keep a level head all the time. I want to be absolutely real to the people I meet and to my fans.”

Doubling down

Neeraj is struck by Rishabh’s similarities to himself. “Chatting with him, I learned how he has maintained himself, how he only has few close friends, and how much he values those friends, family, and his childhood coaches,” says Neeraj. “This is true for me too. And just as I am looking to win gold medals, he wants to achieve great heights in his career.”

 Their careers are not the only areas in which Rishabh and Neeraj want to grow.

“I want to evolve in my life,” says Rishabh. “I don’t focus on success. Rather, I focus on the process of improving myself as an individual and as a cricketer. When things are not going your way, if you can trust the process instead of the immediate results of that process, that’s your biggest motivation.”

Neeraj also focuses more on training than success. “My work is just to train,” he says. “I am lucky to have a family and people around me who can handle the other aspects of my success. Moreover, you don’t get success all of a sudden. You face a lot of failures first. And even after you become successful, you have to be careful about injuries. Ups and downs are part of any athlete’s life.

But we always try to give 100 per cent to our training.”

This requires patience. Neeraj only learned the art of patience in 2019, he says, when an injury knocked him out of action for the year.

“Even in 2020, I only played in one competition due to Covid-19. So, I had to learn patience,” says Neeraj. “This helped me realise that all problems come to an end. All troubles last only for a while.”

Both of them feel a huge sense of responsibility towards their families.

“Taking care of the family and taking care of the game are connected,” says Rishabh. “When you gain something, you should give back too. I don’t want others to face the same things I have faced. And I try to support my family as much as possible.”

Neeraj also believes he must fulfil all his duties towards his family. “My family has supported me always,” he points out. “I went into sports only because of my chhote chacha, Surender Kumar. So, when I see an athlete facing trouble, I try on a personal level to help. I also plan to do something for this sport after I retire, because the javelin has given me everything.”

Matching pair

Success in a high-profile field can sometimes cause problems in relationships. Either family members and friends treat successful athletes differently or the athletes themselves become prideful. But neither Neeraj nor Rishabh think this is an issue.

“I don’t really have a lot of friends,” says Rishabh thoughtfully. “A few people have helped me grow as an individual and we share that bond. It is all about mutual understanding, respect, love and support.”

Neeraj’s success has meant that people are now keen to befriend him. But like Rishabh, he has only a few trusted friends. “They are like my family,” he says. “I have known them all my life.”

Does success make a difference in romantic relationships, we ask.

“You can never be sure,” says Neeraj. “I will be very happy if someone does not see my success, but sees me as a person.”

Romance can come later, though. Right now, the new pals need to consolidate their friendship.

“Neeraj is really fond of cars. I am also really fond of cars,” says Rishabh. “I used to be fond of clothes as well, but not anymore. I like jewellery and video games. So, we have a lot in common.”

Yup. It’s confirmed. They’re #Neerabh.

From HT Brunch, January 30, 2022

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