Syed Kirmani's autobiography 'Stumped' launched in Bengaluru on Sunday, December 29.
'Stumped': Kirmani's autobiography released in Bengaluru
Kirmani, who played 88 Tests for India, said there are some untold stories in his book, and urged everyone including the current generation of cricketers to read his book
On his 75th birthday, legendary Indian wicketkeeper and 1983 World Cup winner Syed Kirmani on Sunday, December 29, released his autobiography ‘Stumped: Life Behind and Beyond the Twenty-Two Yards’ in Bengaluru in the presence of some of the big names in the game.
The book launch event at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was well attended by former cricketers, Kirmani's family and others. The book is co-authored by Debashish Sengupta and Dakshesh Pathak.
Also watch: Exclusive interview with Syed Kirmani on his book
Kirmani's teammate and World Cup- winning captain Kapil Dev, former captains Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, spin greats EAS Prasanna and BS Chandrasekhar, former batters Brijesh Patel and VVS Laxman, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were in attendance.
"It's an emotional day for me to launch my autobiography in the presence of my captain Kapil Dev, my former teammates, family, friends, and well-wishers," Kirmani told The Federal.
Kirmani, who played 88 Tests for India, said there are some untold stories in his book, and urged everyone including the current generation of cricketers to read his book.
Kapil, who was the chief guest, lauded Kirmani for his cricket career, his humility, and shared his experiences with him during their playing days.
“I was in an under-19 camp when Syed Kirmani, Bishan Singh Bedi and others returned to India after being bloodied and bruised on a tour to the West Indies. I worked up the courage to approach Kirmani. The first autograph I ever received in my life was from the great ‘Kiri bhai’ and GR Viswanath,” Kapil said.
“I remember what Kirmani wrote when signing the autograph. He wrote ‘Hope to see tons of runs and tons of wickets from you’. That was most kind of him. I also spent a few hours with him, where he taught me so much about the sport and beyond,” Kapil said.
Kirmani's former teammate Sunil Gavaskar, and badminton legend Prakash Padukone wished the former wicketkeeper on his book, through video messages. Gavaskar is currently in Australia for TV commentary duties for the India versus Australia Test series.
