What Did Ravi Shastri's Mother Say About His Six Sixes?

Mumbai, July 2 (NationPress) While Ravi Shastri was hitting six sixes in a single over during a Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium in 1985, his parents were blissfully unaware of their son's monumental feat. It was only when the local bhelpuri wala informed Shastri's mother, Lakshmi, that she learned of her son's remarkable achievement.

On Wednesday, Lakshmi shared this cherished memory while accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 on behalf of her son. The award was presented during the celebration of World Sports Journalists Day, organized by the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM), which honored 11 distinguished figures in Mumbai and Indian sports for their invaluable contributions.

Among the awardees were billiards champion Micheal Ferreira, three-time national table tennis champion Niraj Bajaj, badminton coach Sanjay Sharma, Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, former Indian women's cricket team captain Shubhangi Kulkarni, Olympic hockey gold medalist Merwyn Fernandis, and former national hockey coach Joaquim Carvalho. The illustrious group was recognized not only for their athletic prowess but also for their role in inspiring future generations and enhancing their respective sports.

Of the 11 honorees, 10 were present to accept their awards, while Ravi Shastri's accolade was collected by his mother, as he was in England providing commentary for the second Test match between India and England in Birmingham.

As these sports legends shared their journeys and the dedication required to achieve success, they reflected on the enhancements in facilities and opportunities available today.

In her acceptance speech, Lakshmi Shastri recounted the unforgettable moment when Ravi managed to hit six sixes off an over bowled by Tilak Raj from Baroda during the Ranji Trophy. She admitted her ignorance of the achievement until the local bhelpuri wala informed her. "When Ravi came home, I asked him what happened, and in his usual manner, he told me to listen to the 7:30 news on All India Radio. I rushed to inform my husband, Dr. Jayadritha Shastri, that Ravi had accomplished something notable enough for the news," she reminisced.

She expressed her joy upon seeing a billboard proclaiming that "Shastri has 'sobared' Sobers," indicating he had matched the record previously held by Gary Sobers. "That was the pinnacle of his career for me," she added.

Another cherished memory for her was when Ravi was named Champions of Champions for his outstanding all-round performance in the World Championships of Cricket in 1985 in Australia. "At that time, I didn't even know what an 'Audi' was, nor how to pronounce it, just like many others in India. But it was incredibly heartwarming to see the team taking a ride around the Melbourne Cricket Ground in an Audi car," she stated.

Four-time World Billiards Champion Ferreira paid tribute to his coach and mentor Wilson Jones, while Sanjay Sharma discussed his challenges with the Badminton Association of India (BAI) regarding their operations.

GM Pravin Thipsay remarked that Indian chess is experiencing a golden age after its triumph in the 2024 Chess Olympiad, where the nation clinched the overall title and four individual gold medals. Following that, Gukesh became the youngest World Chess Champion, surpassing Garry Kasparov by four years. By the year's end, Koneru Humpy captured her second World Rapid Championship, marking a truly memorable year for Indian chess," said Thipsay.

Ace shooter and coach Anjali Bhagwat reminisced about the dedication required to succeed, as shooting was relatively unknown when they began. She recalled qualifying for the 2004 Olympics in Athens with high hopes but not meeting expectations. "I feared criticism for my performance, but I was met with encouragement to move on, as setbacks are part of sports. Shortly after, I rebounded to win the ISSF Champion of Champions award," she shared.

Former chief national shooting coach Deepali Deshpande highlighted the need to educate journalists about their sport when they began earning medals.

Merwyn Fernandis, a member of the Indian hockey team that won gold in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, reminisced about searching for their names in the newspapers the day after their performances.

Among those presenting the awards were Woman Grandmasters Bhagyashree Thipsay and Anupama Gokhale, Kamlesh Mehta, Aparna Popat, Olympian Vandana Rao Carvalho, and billiards and snooker expert Devendra Joshi.