Legendary India batsman Sunil Gavaskar will deliver the inaugural Dilip Sardesai Memorial Lecture at the CK Nayudu Hall in the Cricket Club of India (CCI) on Thursday.
Similar in conception to the Spirit of Cricket Lecture, instituted by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the memory of late English cricketer Colin Cowdrey, the lecture will be held annually on July 2, Dilip Sardesai’s, former India captain, death anniversary.
Conceptualised and organised by the Sardesai family (wife Nandini, a sociologist, and son Rajdeep, editor-in-chief CNN-IBN), it will bring some of the biggest names in world cricket to the country. “This is the first time something like this is happening in India. We wanted to do something meaningful in Dilip’s memory. This is befitting. I am thrilled that Sunil agreed to give the first lecture. He knew my husband very well,” Nandini Sardesai told DNA.
Although the topic of Gavaskar’s lecture is not known, Nandini says it is likely to be a contemporary topic which will bring forward issues of concern in modern day cricket. “Sunil is keeping his cards very close to his chest. But it will definitely be dealing with issues of today,” she said.
Gavaskar will be joined on the dais by Badal Mittal, president of the CCI, and television commentator Harsha Bhogle. The lecture will be followed by a brief interactive session, involving members of the audience, which will be moderated by Bhogle.
“This discussion will be about the same issues Sunil raises during his lecture,” Nandini said. Attendance is only by invite. Some of those present will be former cricketers Vinod Kambli, Nari Contractor, Sanjay Manjrekar, Yajuvendra Singh, Milind Rege, Chandrakant Pandit and Nilesh Kulkarni. Actor and rugby player Rahul Bose, a close friend of the Sardesais, is an invitee, along with some members of the censor board and academia.
The lecture was originally to be held on December 16, just before England’s tour of India. But due to the cancellation and rescheduling of Test in Mumbai, after the 26/11 terror attacks, the event was moved.
“We had invited Mike Atherton too then. He’s a friend of Rajdeep from Oxford. But that was not to be,”said Nandini.
Following Gavaskar, other prominent speakers lined up for the next couple of years are Clive Lloyd and Imran Khan. “My son Rajdeep has spoken to both
Clive Lloyd and Imran Khan, and they are likely to be the next two speakers,” said Nandini.
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