One of India’s most popular cricketers, former wicketkeeper Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani, is on a trip to Hyderabad – the city where he once lived and grew up. He is catching up with old friends and relatives and enjoying a reconnection with his roots. While for the cricket star, it was a case of catching up with family and friends, for the city of Hyderabad, it was an honour to welcome him.
With the help of Imran Mirza, father of Sania Mirza, this correspondent had the good fortune to have a brief conversation with the legendary keeper. Kirmani said that he was happy to visit his relatives in Hyderabad once again.
He had studied in St. Paul’s High School and All Saints High School before he moved to Bengaluru with his family members after his father was transferred to that city.
Met Man Singh
One of the persons he met while in Hyderabad was P.R. Man Singh, who was the manager of the team that won the 1983 Prudential Cup under the leadership of Kapil Dev. The two exchanged many stories and relived the memories of that historic win.
Kirmani still has many family members living in Hyderabad. During this trip, he is staying with his brother in Noor Khan Bazaar, a locality in the Old City of Hyderabad. He is likely to visit Hyderabad again when the date of his book launch is finalised.
He has recently written an autobiography titled, “Stumped: Life Behind And Beyond the 22 Yards.
Book launched in Bengaluru
The book was formally launched at a glittering function at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru in the last week of December. A galaxy of celebrities was present at the function. They included Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Brjesh Patel, EAS Prasanna, and BS Chandrasekhar among others. Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar were also in attendance.
The speakers at the function recalled all the thrilling moments of cricket. Kirmani’s famous partnership with Kapil Dev against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup, where the duo rescued India from a precarious 17 for five, was a favourite memory among speakers on the stage. Kapil spoke about the first time he met Kirmani, who recently celebrated his 75th birthday.
A similar function will be held in Hyderabad once the date and venue are finalised, Kirmani told this correspondent. Later he will also go to Kolkata to make arrangements for his book launch.
Best wicketkeeper
Kirmani won the award for the best wicketkeeper in the 1983 World Cup the highlight of which was the catch of Faoud Bacchus that he took in the final against the West Indies. Against Zimbabwe, he equalled the then-record by effecting three catches and two stumpings.
During the Australian tour of 1985–86, he took an outstanding catch to dismiss Allan Border but then injured his leg badly. He was forced to sit out of the remaining matches of the tournament. That effectively ended his international career. He was always a central figure on the field and his acrobatic dives and somersaults to catch the ball were truly spectacular. His contribution to Indian cricket can never be forgotten.
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