Munaf Patel:
Munaf Patel is a lost name in Indian cricket. He was the third-highest wicketkeeper in the 2011 World Cup win for the team but is forgotten despite his huge contribution. Patel is yet another person whose success story is great and has had to work right from the bottom to reach the national side.
He’s a man who still lives in his hometown Ikhar in Baroda and is invested in doing farming on his ‘kheth’ . Such is the simplicity of the man that he’s not attracted towards living in the cities and spend lakhs and crores on fancy cars and fashion.
“I lived there for five-six months. I learnt how to wear good clothes, how to speak, kuchbhinahiaatatha. Dennis Lillee (Australia’s legendary fast bowler who coached at MRF) would say something and I used to look at someone else’s face! Kya bolrahahai? Lillee Sir always used to laugh, and ask someone to translate.”
When Munaf Patel was in school he already had to work in a tile factory to earn for his family and make two ends meet. They couldn’t even afford to buy food once his father started working on another farm and he received a bare minimum wage of Rs 35 for eight hours of work.