Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
People say I take too many risks. But the fact is, there is risk involved in every shot. You can get out trying to defend a ball as well.
There is no point playing in the IPL when I have retired from international cricket. I did not want a youngster to miss out because of me.
In international cricket, the atmosphere changes, and the interest level is higher, but for a cricketer, it is still a game he has to play.
I batted with contact lenses in the IPL while playing for Delhi Daredevils. I wasn't picking the ball early. So I went back to the glasses.
During the peak of my career, I used to pick the ball as soon it was released from the bowler's hands. And I hit the ball through the line.
Coach should be a friend, not a coach. And at international level, all you need is a friend who can motivate you. Technique doesn't matter.
If you know your game, you can handle pressure; you can handle any kind of situation, back yourself, and play your own game and get success.
Players like Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Warner, Glenn Maxwell were noticed at IPL first. It is a platform for players all over the world.
To say that I wanted to become the captain is entirely incorrect. When Dhoni became captain and I played under him, we won the T20 World Cup.
As for my batting, the best part about it is I have never changed it. I have never changed my thinking, I have never changed my batting style.
Today if I'm a cricketer it is because of Sachin Tendulkar. Else, I would never have picked up a bat. He's the reason behind me playing cricket
If a player fails to perform in four or five consecutive matches, he should be dropped irrespective of whether he is a senior or a junior player.
There are very rare occasions when you get a good wicket to bat on, but whatever wicket you get, you have to play at least 20 overs for your side.
I don't know how to troll people, but there are many out there talking with that intent. I just write something funny that would make people laugh.
We never thought that there would be another Sachin Tendulkar. But Virat Kohli has changed this mindset. I think Virat can surpass Tendulkar's records.
I was a middle-order batsman who was too good against spin and hit sixes consistently in Under-19 and Ranji cricket, and I still have the same confidence.
It doesn't matter whether you move your feet or not; if your head is still and body is in balance, you can score lots of runs. This I learned from Tendulkar.
I never thought of breaking a record. The only ambition I had was to become the fastest century maker for India, which I did when I broke Azharuddin's record.
I love to score runs rather than defending or leaving the ball. That is an important aspect of my batting: I don't want to waste balls in any form of the game.
I have never hidden my injury before, or fitness problems. Even my shoulder operation was planned after consulting the then coach Gary Kirsten and skipper MS Dhoni.
Someone enjoys your batting, and someone, your humour. Since I'm not batting any longer, I can at least say some words, so people enjoy and give me compliments, too.
When I was a kid, my first dream was to play Test matches, and the second one was to play 100 Test matches because there are very few people who have played 100 Tests for India.
I would like to thank all my captains who believed in me and backed me to the hilt. I also thank our greatest partner, the Indian cricket fan, for all the love, support, and memories.
Playing for India was a memorable journey, and I tried to make it more memorable for my team mates and the Indian cricket fans. I believe that I was reasonably successful in doing so.
I thought I could have breached Brian Lara's 400 runs. When I scored 319, I was unbeaten at 309 but then got out. So I think I could have reached that mark, but unfortunately, I missed it.
Once I took to Twitter and shared those jokes, they became a huge hit. My following grew, and some of the posts got thousands of retweets. With so many shares, money from sponsors followed.
I would love to be a coach, mentor, or a batting consultant. I would love to commentate in Hindi, as most people who watch the game are more comfortable with Hindi in India rather than English.
There were a lot of players who gave me suggestions when I was young. At times, they were very good suggestions, and I took them seriously, applied them to my batting, and got success after that.
If I feel strongly about something, I don't bother what will people say, especially when it is about the country and the Army. But my cricketer friends are all politically correct when they tweet.
I used to prepare in advance on how the bowler is going to bowl, whether is he going to bowl an outswinger or an inswinger? I used to watch the videos of the bowler and used to prepare in advance.
It's the duty of the federations to make sure that the funds reach the athletes properly. They need to make sure that the athletes get proper facilities so that they can win the medals for the country.
The most important thing for any athlete is to know his ability. If you know your ability and have even a little bit of a strong mindset, you can get success, because your ability takes you to success.
Australia always gives a tough fight, and that's why every player wants to perform against Australia. When you perform against Australia, England, and South Africa, you automatically earn more respect.
I would want to change my name to Sachin Tendulkar if I could do it. He has tons of records; I am not even close to him. He is called as the 'God,' and who would not want to be a God in this mortal world?
I believe in wishing my colleagues and other celebs in a manner that brings my wit out and gives people a talking point. But there are people who love and those who hate you. That's part of a celeb's life.
To participate in a World Cup is a great honour and achievement. I've played in three World Cups. The whole world watches you during a World Cup and expects you to play innings to win games for your country.
In my view, if you have good or bad technique, it doesn't matter. But you will survive if you can adjust your game at international level, you are mentally strong, you know your strengths and how to score runs.
I have lived my dream and played at the finest of cricket grounds across the globe, and I want to thank the groundsmen, clubs, associations, and everyone who painstakingly prepare the arena for our performances.
Til the day I didn't play under-19 World Cup, nobody ever celebrated my birthday. And the moment I played for Indian team, my family got excited and ordered and cut a cake for me in front of 40-50 family members.
If a player is playing IPL and earning money, it's not his fault that he's not playing for India. He is not quitting. He is playing first-class, one-day cricket and IPL. If selectors don't pick him, what can he do?
I never thought of coaching the Indian cricket team. I was given the offer... BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhury and MV Sridhar came to me and requested me to think on the offer. I took my time and then applied for the position.
Sourav is a very positive captain. Whatever his personal form, whatever the media writes about him, he has always been strong, focused and aggressive. Perhaps these are the qualities that make him India's most successful captain.
After you score 300 runs in one innings, you begin to feel that every innings should be close to this one. Of course, I know that won't happen. But I will be disappointed if I get going well and am unable to convert it into a huge score.
I don't think it's correct to blame the captain. He at least tries to keep all together so that the team plays well, plays positive cricket, and wins the match for the country, and not think about only winning and earning a name for himself.
When I was growing up, we would play a 10-over or 15-over game, and the asking-rate would always be high, and I would end up scoring 30 or 40 runs in 15 balls, so I built that mindset right from the beginning and still continue to bat in the same manner.
A youngster should know his game first. If he knows his game, he can modify it at the top level if required. But if he doesn't know his game, then it is difficult to get success at international level. You will get success occasionally but not regularly.
It doesn't matter if you have one billion rupees in your bank account or one rupee. This is one life you get, and you'd rather spend it enjoying whatever you have, rather than thinking, 'Oh, I should have scored seven more runs, or I should get more money.'
A sort of sadness shall always remain in my mind that I was not allowed to retire while playing, but anyway, it's all a part of life for a sportsman who, while playing, never realises when he should retire, but he starts thinking about it when he is dropped.
There has been the negative impact of spot-fixing and match-fixing, but it is the individual player's responsibility to look after that because if a player wants to do that, it is difficult to stop him. It is the individual player's responsibility to play fairly.
During Rahul Dravid's captaincy, Dhoni got the role of a finisher. He got out a couple of times playing a bad shot, and he was also reprimanded by Dravid during one instance. But from that instance, he completely changed his approach and became a very good finisher.