Revisiting Subhash’s dreams

Former Under-15 skipper, who committed suicide, is yet to get acceptance that he was a cricketer with potential and who was denied his place under the sun

KANPUR: Beside the Green Park Stadium, a haven for Kanpur’s cricketers, is an eight-storey building called Krishna Tower.

About 200 metres down the road and on the other side of the stadium, is a small one-storey building that once housed the most famous young talent to have emerged from this cricketing backwaters.

Subhash Dikshit was the captain of the Indian under-15 team that won the Asia Cup in 2000 in Malaysia, a rare victory.

No wonder Subhash’s family thought playing for India, and possibly at the Green Park, was a dream within his reach.

But it remained unfulfilled and that is perhaps why Subhash decided to jump from the terrace of Krishna Tower and commit suicide. That was on June 9 this year.

After the usual consternation, politicians promised money to his poor family but did not deliver and the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) grudgingly gave away Rs 1 lakh but not before washing its hands off the matter saying they have been fair and just in providing enough opportunities to Subhash to prove his mettle.

However, Subhash’s uncle and mentor Om Prakash Tiwari disagrees with the official stance of the association.

“Everyone knows even when an age-group side is picked some candidates find a place because of recommendations and influence. Whether they are talented enough or not is another matter.”

The UPCA released a list of scores of the middle-order batsman, suggesting that his performances were on the wane since the start of the 2001-02 season. Moreover, they stayed that Subhash did not appear for selection trials since 2005-06.

However, what was conveniently forgotten is the fact that just two matches before he was dropped, he had scored an unbeaten 143 followed by another unbeaten 41 in the under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy.

“How come Subhash, with all his credentials, could not make even the probables for Ranji Trophy?” counters Tiwari.

Once he was dropped, Subhash made the trip to Green Park for the next four seasons but was never picked. Only 2005-06, Subhash opted out as he was planning to play for Bengal in order to get a break.

As fate could have it, Tiwari and another uncle Sameer Satsangi talked him out of it. Tiwari, who also played for Bengal, played only three Ranji games for his adopted state and he felt that ‘outsiders’ have a limited life span.

Unwittingly they were pushing him towards his death as a frustrated Subhash continued to look for acceptance from his own state mates and fellow players like Irfan Pathan, who played under him during the victorious Asia Cup campaign.

Subhash was brought up at his maternal grandparents’ place after his father Rituparna became mentally challenged years ago. His sister, mother and maternal aunt were living off Tiwari’s earnings. 

Aunt Shyama did not marry because she had to take care of Subhash’s ailing mother and the kids as well. Worse, a month after Subhash’s death, his grandfather too passed away after a prolonged illness and which added to the family’s burden.

“We don’t want money. We also understand that the UPCA does not own this ground. But still they could at least get the government authorities to name a stand or something after him at Green Park?” says Shyama wistfully.

On Sunday, the family did not get an invite for the India versus Pakistan one-dayer.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, who hails from this part of the country too seems to have brought UPCA’s argument that Subhash was a star on the wane.

Perhaps, it is such tragedies in life that have prompted Ambati Rayudu, Subhash’s teammate in that Asia Cup squad, to join the upcoming Indian Cricket League where money for their suffering families is a soothing balm at least.