Oct 10 | 01 min read

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Hi, this is Prasad Deshpande, working in the CCD team.

 

I come from Mumbai, the city of dreams, where time is as precious as gold. Known as the “struggle city,” everyone here has their own tale of hardship.

 

Today, I simply wanted to share my story of struggle with you.

 

I fell in love with cricket at the age of 11 when I watched Dhoni hit the final six in the 2011 World Cup. That day, the 11-year-old me started dreaming about playing cricket. I used to play gully cricket with 19-year-old boys and even participated in tournaments with them. Growing up amidst the vibrant chaos of Mumbai’s streets, I played cricket for 4-5 hours daily.

In 2019, I joined college. I used to play cricket for my college, so I joined the college cricket team. I am a right-handed wicket keeper and batsman. People at my college never used to call me Prasad; they always used to call me Dhoni. Dhoni has always been an inspiration in my life. Whenever I felt like giving up, his words of encouragement motivated me to work even harder. He will always be my primary inspiration. At that time, I joined a cricket club. After joining the club, I used to catch the train at 5 am in the morning for cricket practice. For college, I caught the train at 9 am. Additionally, I did a part-time job to cover my cricket expenses, catching the train at 4 pm to get to work, which was a two-hour journey.
I played in many club tournaments but never got any good chances. However, without giving up, I started working hard on cricket as well as on my physique. There’s a saying, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” I also tasted that sweetness. My club coach called me one day and said, “Hey Prasad, there’s a shoot for a Boost ad tomorrow. I have selected you as the wicketkeeper and want you to set the field there.” I didn’t even sleep that night because the next day I had to meet the FORMER TEST CAPTAIN AJINKYA RAHANE. It was like a dream on the sets of the Boost ad. The ad was shot for 2 days, and those 2 days were just amazing because he shared many life lessons with me. He was very humble and down-to-earth. I learned many things from him, such as never giving up. He also suggested that I meditate because meditation has the power to control our minds.

After graduation, I migrated to Bangalore and joined Mobisy Technologies. Now, I also practice cricket daily after my office hours because I am determined to fulfill my childhood dream.

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