Over the years, the Mumbai Indians have been a part of several iconic games. The franchise have had a knack for snatching victories right from the jaws of defeat. However, amongst all their thrilling encounters, it’s very hard to topple the game against the Rajasthan Royals in 2014, which saw the Rohit Sharma-led side needing to chase 190 in less than 15 overs to qualify for the playoffs.
During that game, it was Aditya Tare who scripted the grand heist. With Mumbai Indians needing a boundary to proceed to the next round, Tare hit a six off the bowling of James Faulkner to ensure that his side won a game to remember. Thus, this ensured that the Mumbai lad would go on to feature in the history books of the Indian Premier League forever.
Having said that, the keeper-batter has had an illustrious, first-class career as well. It would be safe to call him a domestic veteran. The 36-year-old has gone on to not only lead Mumbai, but also win several domestic tournaments for the side. Moreover, Aditya Tare holds the record for having the most number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a Ranji season. He currently represents Uttarakhand in the domestic circuit.
During an interview with Arvind Kalyana Krishnan, Tare drew light on several iconic moments of his career, including the 2014 game against Rajasthan Royals. Further on, he spoke about the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw, and how they managed to impress him during their early days. Amidst the poor form of Iyer, Aditya Tare was of the opinion that the 29-year-old is meant for big things. Below is the complete interview.
Q1) You’ve played several iconic knocks in your career so far. Which is your personal favourite knock?
A1) Well the first knock that comes straight to my mind is the knock against Karnataka during the 2014-15 season in the semis. I got out on 98. We were chasing some 400-odd runs in the fourth innings. Although we lost that match but I think that was you know one of my favourite innings in first-class cricket.
Q2) You’ve shared the dressing room with several legends of the game. Have you ever got starstruck or absolutely thrilled while playing/sharing the dressing room with a certain player?
A2) Obviously. Like when I got into the Mumbai Indians setup it was Sachin (Tendulkar) sir who was the captain and I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I’d be playing cricket alongside Sachin Tendulkar and batting with him. I never even imagined that would ever happen while growing up…..I mean just to watch him in the dressing room closely. I mean even today whenever I meet him, I still feel starstruck with the kind of aura he has and with the way he is. And of course, getting to know him over the years has been quite the experience. I don’t think I can ever forget the first time I walked into bat for the first time, It was my first IPL innings and Sachin sir was there in the middle with me. It was a special moment and it will stay with me forever.
Q3) Your six to James Faulkner during the 2014 game against Rajasthan Royals in the IPL is cherished even today. It sealed a spot in the playoffs for Mumbai Indians. Can you speak about the aftermath of the same? What were the reactions in the dressing room after that game
A3) Well obviously yeah we were very happy and excited. I mean with the way we made it to the playoffs because that season was tough. I mean we didn’t have the best of starts during that season. We had lost our first five games. The first five games were played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and the rest of them were played in India. So we lost our first five games in the UAE and had zero points in the points table, and then we came back to Wankhede and we then had a run where we kind of kept on winning games and then went on to make it to the playoffs. So yeah, we were quite happy and excited. The dressing room was buzzing because from nowhere we kind of made it to the playoffs, to the top four. So it was really a great experience. With the way that game went at the Wankhede. I mean playing at the Wankhede is always special. The crowd is very loud and it’s a sea of blue. So when Mumbai Indians play at the Wankhede……That too added to the way we played that way, it was very special.
Q4) You yourself are a successful cricketer. You’ve seen several players doing well while playing under you as well as against you. Right now, we have several budding stars and talented players. So, in your opinion, do you find any cricketers who have managed to impress you? Like the moment you watched them play, you felt like, “Yeah, this player can be the next big thing in cricket.”
A4) Well, there are quite a few, to be honest. When I was playing for Mumbai, I think Shreyas Iyer came in during his first season. The first couple of years the way he batted, the confidence he had in himself, and the way he executed and displayed his batting in first-class cricket, I think he really stood out. I mean not just with his skill, but even his attitude. You know we throw any challenge at him and he’ll always come up with an answer. He always wanted to do well for the team and reply with the bat irrespective of the tough situations that came in. He was always ready with the answer. So his attitude always stood out, especially during the first few years we played together. Even when he was a youngster I think we all could say that he had the ability to achieve great things. Shreyas’ attitude and mental strength really stood out for me. So I feel that he is special in that way.
Prithvi Shaw too. I mean when Prithvi Shaw came in during the 2016-17 season and as a 17 or 18-year-old, he had scored a hundred in just his first game against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal of a Ranji game. The way he batted was quite fearless and his shots were very good. Coming in as a kid in your first game in the semis of a Ranji Trophy……I mean I was just amazed with the way he batted