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THE BAT PACKER
BAT PACKER
“Main India ke liye khelunga” (I will play for India)
Every kid from a cricket-loving country has said this out loud or in their mind at some point during their lives. For me, this happened while watching India battle it out against Australia, South Africa, and Pakistan during the iconic Sharjah years, back in the late 90s. Being a kid growing in the UAE, my dad frequently took me to these games.
OUR VISION
I don’t have too many glorious moments in my cricketing journey. I’ve failed more often than succeeded. It has taken me years to admit this to myself, to wear my setbacks on my sleeve with pride. I’ve learned about myself, my mind, body, and I continue to. I take the most pride in others taking up the sport or any sport after hearing my story. So far, I can proudly say that over 10 people have pursued cricket/sport after chatting with me. This beats every moment of success I have had or will ever have on the field.
The Bat Packer is more than a cricket blog; it is an ode to the last 6 years and a journal for the upcoming years. I hope The Bat Packer inspires people to take on a sport of their choice, and make people embrace failure, learn from it, and not run away from it.
This is my goal, calling and aspiration (could also be a low-key mid-life crisis).
I fail almost every week, but I know I will keep trying despite the challenges because no matter how low the chips have fallen or how many times I fail, you’ll see me packing my kitbag and my bats heading out to try again.
VAMOS!
-Naren Sunil Mansukhani in and as "The Bat Packer"