'We have done everything in our power to help him take his game to the next level and become a star player.'
From being rated as one of the world's most promising young batters to being dropped from the Mumbai team, Prithvi Shaw's career has seen a huge downfall.
The 25 year old, who was dropped from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team last season due to concerns over his poor fitness and lack of discipline, has switched to the Maharashtra cricket team as he seeks to revive his career.
"The Mumbai Cricket Association did everything possible in their powers to help him become a top cricketer," says former Mumbai opener Sahil Kukreja, who is now part of the Mumbai Cricket Association's Cricket Improvement Committee.
Opener Kukreja played 52 first class games for Mumbai before retiring at 26 in 2011 to pursue an MBA in England and later joined his family business.
"Shreyas Iyer not being in the Test team is shocking, after what he has done, what he has achieved," Kukreja tells Rediff's Harish Kotian.
Kukreja has now launched The Func Lab, a sports wellness brand with a commitment to efficacy, transparency, and science-backed nutrition.
You retired from all forms of cricket in 2011 at age 26, to study for an MBA in England.
Do you see that happening in today's times when young cricketers, even before playing domestic cricket, are making millions in the IPL?
I retired from cricket at that age because I had a very different situation in life. I was lucky to play for Mumbai. In my last Ranji Trophy game, I scored a century.
I had a family business, I had two elder brothers, I had something to fall back on. I had lost my dad when I was young. So I wanted to take a step back from sports because playing cricket became difficult at that point. Although, I was hitting my peak in cricket I had other responsibilities.
You can give people as much money as you want, but they will only play if they are passionate towards the sport.
Sunil Gavaskar played with the same passion as Sachin Tendulkar did or what Virat Kohli does or say today Jasprit Bumrah does. I know with time the sport has also brought about lot of money but even if you see other sports like say football or table tennis, the athletes play their sport for the passion or competitiveness.
I was someone who always believed teaming money with sports is great for a lifestyle but it is not a real source or the reasoning why they play professionally.
Was cricket the inspiration behind the launch of your new venture Func Lab?
I was an athlete back in the day and I used many protein supplements but never found the right fit. There are enough brands but it is still difficult to find the right brand which makes an athlete functional protein.
At The Func Lab what we do is we look at protein from the protein to calorie ratio. Our plant protein has one of the highest protein-to-calorie ratios in the market, if not the highest, minimal carbs, and no soy or unnecessary fillers.
We have some electrolytes as well, because when I was playing I never found something like, we always got a sports drink, which was only filled with sugar. The electrolytes are crafted to strike the perfect balance of 1000mg sodium, 210mg potassium, 70mg magnesium, and calcium, ensuring deep, functional hydration without sugar, artificial flavours, or empty ingredients.
What brought you back to Mumbai cricket? You are part of the MCA's Cricket Improvement Committee.
I have been very fortunate that the MCA considered me for such a prestigious position like being part of the CIC. This is a very big responsibility.
We got some really good people in the MCA, with someone like Ajinkya Naik as the president. Previously we had Amol Kale (the MCA president who passed away last year) and under him we won the Ranji Trophy last season after a gap of 7-8 years. So getting the right people in the right position is important.
As part of MCA's CIC, how did you react to Prithvi Shaw opting to leave Mumbai for Maharashtra?
Firstly, it was Prithvi's personal choice. The Mumbai Cricket Association did everything possible in its power to help him become a top cricketer.
Prithvi has also admitted that he made certain errors in life over the last 3-4 years which saw his career also slip. I hope he finds solace wherever he plays next.
From the MCA's point of view, we have probably done everything in our power to help him take his game to the next level and become a star player.
Prithvi moving away is not from the association point of view but from the individual point of view.
What would you say about Shreyas Iyer not getting picked in the Indian Test team for the tour of England?
I hope he makes a comeback. He is a terrific player and for some reason, he doesn't get the rub of the green, I don't know why. This is something the selectors, the coaches or the team management need to answer.
Shreyas Iyer not being in the Test team is shocking, after what he has done, what he has achieved. His record not only as a player but even as a captain is incredible. It is absolutely shocking that someone like Shreyas is not in the Test team.
How highly do you rate young Ayush Mhatre? The 18 year old made quite an impact in his first season for CSK in the IPL.
Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, these young guys are phenomenal cricketers, they are unbelievably talented. They have done well not only for Mumbai but also in the IPL for their teams. They have a very bright future.
How important is education for cricketers even in the age of IPL when they can make more than enough money from cricket?
Education is very important. You will be a cricketer till maybe 35 years of age, so if you start at 10, then you will play cricket for around 25 years of your life.
The other 55 years of your life you will do other stuff so education becomes essential and it gives you another opportunity.
Sports is a great teacher, it teaches you to work hard, to be disciplined, how to become competitive.
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