It was a memorable night for former India cricketer, a World Cup winner, one of the best commentators in the world and ex-head coach of the national men's team, Ravi Shastri, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BCCI Awards in Hyderabad on Tuesday, January 23. Shastri, who has been involved with cricket for more than 40 years now, has had a memorable career and has formed lifetime memories whether on or off the field and was asked by Harsha Bhogle through his speech to name that 'one' moment which would make him happy, if he wakes up one morning and remembers it.
Shastri in his usual passionate commentary style went through some of the glittering moments of his career while revealing the final 'icing on the cake'. "I think, to pick one would be difficult. But I will just go very quickly. You showed one in 1985, that was a final against Pakistan, so it was a special night at Melbourne. 1983, being on that balcony at Lord's when India won the World Cup. A hundred in the West Indies and a double hundred in Australia.
"But doing commentary, doing the World Cup final when MS hit that ball for six and of course in 2007 when they won the T20 World Cup. Two back-to-back wins in Australia. But if you ask me one, the icing on the cake was that last day at the Gabba when we went past the finishing line with Rishabh Pant taking us home, has to be the icing on the cake and I thank my players for that. All of them," Ravi Shastri said after winning the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award," Shastri added.
Shastri got emotional while receiving the prestigious award and thanked BCCI for sticking by him through thick and thin. "It's a very touching moment for me because when I started my cricket at the age of 17 and I finished as a player at 30, BCCI were my guardians right through. They showed me the path to play sport at a time when the bucks weren't big in the game but there was pride in playing for your country. I saw BCCI grow up in these 40 years of mine and become a powerhouse of world cricket. It's a very special evening for me," Shastri said.
Shastri was the Col CK Nayadu lifetime achievement award winner for this season while former cricketer Farokh Engineer was presented with the honour for the 2019-2020 edition as the annual NAMAN awards were happening for the first time after four years.
