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Ravi Shastri's Mother Shares Unheard Stories As India Great Bags Life Time Achievement Award

Jatin

Ravi Shastri with his mom [Source: @RaviShastriOfc/x.com]Ravi Shastri with his mom [Source: @RaviShastriOfc/x.com]

It is not every day that a bhelpuriwala breaks the news of cricket history being made. But when Ravi Shastri’s bat was doing the talking at Wankhede back in 1985, it wasn’t the headlines or radio commentary that got to his mom first, it was the man selling street snacks outside the stadium.

Shastri’s Lifetime Achievement Award Gets Sweeter With Mother’s Six-Sixes Memory

On Wednesday, the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai honoured 11 legendary Indian sportspersons with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Among them was former Team India all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri. Though Shastri couldn’t make it to the event at Bombay Gymkhana, his mother Lakshmi had the house in splits with her throwback tales.

Lakshmi Shastri recalled how she first heard about her son smashing six sixes in an over, not from the man himself, but from her local bhelpuri vendor!

“There are many treasured memories which Ravi has given us,” she began, before dropping the mic-worthy one. “But I would say the one which stands out is when he scored six sixes in an over… I was blissfully unaware of the fact that he was doing it at Wankhede Stadium. I was told by my bhelpuri wala who was present there and witnessed this,” said Shastri’s mother as quoted by Business Standard.

Turns out, Shastri came home that day cool as a cucumber. When asked what had happened, he cheekily replied,

“You want to know what I did? Then tune in to today's All India Radio for the 7:0'clock news.”

Ravi Shastri's Mother Recalls The Day He ‘Sobered Sobers’

By the time the news hit the radio and the city buzzed, one headline summed it up best. A massive Marine Drive banner read: He Sobered Sobers, a nod to the fact that Shastri had matched the great Sir Garfield Sobers’ record of six sixes in an over.

“He had ‘Sobered Sobers’, and I am quoting the banner that was put on the Marine Drive the next day,” she added with pride.

1985 Was Shastri’s Golden Year

Lakshmi also called 1985 a “glorious year” for Ravi. From the six-sixes to being crowned Champion of Champions in the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket, Shastri was living every Indian cricketer’s dream.

“And then came the famous Audi car,” she smiled. “Nobody, at least me, knew how to pronounce its name. And I’m sure many in India hadn’t even seen that car!”

Full List of Awardees

While Shastri’s anecdotes lit up the event, he wasn’t alone in being honoured. The Lifetime Achievement Award list also featured some of India’s finest:

  • Shubhangi Kulkarni (women’s cricket)
  • Michael Ferreira (billiards)
  • Niraj Bajaj (table tennis)
  • GM Pravin Thipsay (chess)
  • Anjali Bhagwat, Suma Shirur, Deepali Deshpande (shooting)
  • Mervyn Fernandes and Joaquim Carvalho (hockey)
  • Sanjay Sharma (badminton)

Each legend has made a unique name in Indian sports. But on this day, it was the stories behind the stats that stole the limelight, thanks to Ravi Shastri’s mom.