I was just about settling down into my seat, 23D, on the Singapore Airlines A380, when a familiar face walked up and gave me a nudge. The boarding process wasn’t really smooth, with three of my colleagues on standby, and as their editor, it was my responsibility to make sure everyone boarded and all was okay. These things can get stressful at times, and it was time to relax and take a quick nap.
That was when Harsha Bhogle came to my seat and we started chatting. Harsha has been someone we grew up listening to, and to his credit, he has managed to reinvent himself and evolve over time. For example, he started writing, which added much to his commentary and audio-video analysis.
From my standpoint, we have always been friends. He had messaged me some encouraging words during the time of the ban, and just did what a friend would do – gave me space. The moot point is there is mutual respect.
As he asked how RevSportz was doing and said some nice words, I asked him what his next assignment was. He will be in Kolkata on January 22 for the India-England T20I, and we said we’d meet at home if time permits.
That’s what really got us going. To think back to the work we do, and how it’s the passion that is at the heart of it. Beyond the world of social media, the praise and the brickbats, it is about the drive from within. “I do what I enjoy doing and choose my assignments,” he said, and he had summed things up nicely in one sentence. After a point in life, it is no longer about the money or the numbers or anything else. It is about what you want to do and what you love doing.
For the Latest Sports News: Click Here
Harsha is a role model to many and none have been able to do what he has. And in all honesty, I don’t think anyone else can or will in the near future. To do corporate talks, write, commentate and, most importantly, enjoy every little piece of it makes him what he is.
The best thing about Harsha is the preparation. He will turn up for every assignment well prepared and ready, and that’s what many should learn from him. He has the gift of language to manage extempore, but rarely has he done so. That’s what respecting the profession is all about.
He isn’t able to sleep on flights, so we spoke twice more. About the RevSportz conclave, about how Australia is great for Test cricket, how the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has added much to the red-ball game and more. And may I say, I enjoyed the conversation.
I’d have loved Harsha to do more Olympic sport, for he could have made a difference there as well. And Paralympic sport as well. You need opinion-makers in the domain, and he is one. He said to me that he is gradually starting to choose his assignments and doesn’t push himself anymore. While that is only fair, for he isn’t getting any younger, I have to say I’d love to read and listen to him for as long as he does what he is good at. Simply put, as long as he has the passion, he should continue. To have a deep conversation with an intellectually sound man was refreshing, and set me up for much-needed rest thereafter.
Also Read: “India a better team in any format with Virat Kohli in it”: Michael Clarke