Anubhav Srivastava's Cricket saga!

Anubhav Srivastava

Why did you choose to be a part of MTV BCL?
It's an interesting and different concept for actors and players to play cricket on one platform together as we all actors are doing different shows due to which we can't spend time with each other. You get to play sports amongst your fraternity folks with a bit of competition and the best part is that even girls can be a part of this interesting concept of cricket. Moreover, MTV is a youth channel and you get new youth audience.

Why did you choose to be part of Chennai Swaggers?
As it's a very strong team where the coach is nice and even there's a different team spirit where we had a great time together. In our team, the actors had no ego at all. We all came together as a team to put our best foot forward for the team. We all just had a blast and we respect each other. I was approached for playing for Chennai Swaggers this year. Honestly, I wanted to play with Chennai Swaggers last year as well but couldn't get chance to play then. In the 1st year too, I played for Kolkata Babu Moshayes. In the second year, I played for Ahmedabad Express.

How was it playing for BCL?
Very interesting, refreshing and I had a great time these entire 20 days. Like I said earlier, it's an interesting and different concept for actors and players to play cricket on one platform together as we all actors are doing different shows due to which we can't spend time with each other. You get to play sports amongst yourselves with a bit of competition and you meet your actor friends and have fun, laugh with them on cricket gossips, gupshup and controversies and the best part is that even girls can be a part of this interesting concept of cricket called BCL. Its all in the happy zone where you get to have a blast. Whatever cricketing skills I've had since my growing up college days I get to revive that and enjoy it thanks to BCL.

Is it tough to take out time for sports reality shows like this?
Yes it's very taxing as people think playing BCL is very easy but in reality, it's not as when you've to stand there and play it's tough and more than that the practice sessions where we all practised for entire 20 days where we had physio, trainer, and coach who took care of our balling and batting actions as the ball used was a very softball of sponge which is different from normal ball and to throw this and for hitting it too you needed a lot of energy so its not easy to play with this ball.

Since when you love cricket? What you love the most about it?
I've always loved my batting as I've been a batsman since my childhood cricketing days. I still enjoy playing cricket and I cherish the moment when am on field batting for my team against the opposite competing team where you've your friends, team and people who came to support Chennai Swaggers so it's enjoyable. When you hit sixes and fours, and that voice comes ''Chakka Laga'' that time you feel amazing and have loads of fun. I've loved cricket since childhood which runs in my blood and is my true calling which gives me goosebumps.

BCL brought a lot of actors under one roof. Did it give you time to chill and make new friends? Any interesting incident from the field please share.
When we sit in dugouts, we get to know each other better, you get to speak about the teams you're going to be playing with so its fun. I remember when Dhinchak Pooja came on the field, we made a jingle of her song by tweaking it ''Sefie meine le li aaj, apni team ko duba diya'' that incident was very funny, hilarious and fun on the field. I became friends with Tanya Sharma, Pooja Banerjee, Vishal Aditya Singh who's very frank and spontaneous in nature, Erica Fernandes who's a very good baller as the way she throws the ball half the girls can't throw the ball like her. Erica is a very sweet girl. I knew Himmanshoo, Shobhit. I connected with new people and reconnected with my old friends as well.

Which team was your toughest competitor?
I guess which we did and broke it also as Delhi Dragons have been winning the BCL Trophy since past 3 seasons as Delhi is said to be a very tough team and defeating that team in the match is a very big thing as from past 3 years they've never lost and Chennai Swaggers is very first team to have defeated Delhi Dragons which you'll see in the upcoming matches and for Delhi team it was reality check that someone has finally been successful in defeating them in the match.

How is it working with Marinating Films (Anand Mishra)?
I met him through BCL three years back and he's a sweetheart and a very good person. You won't feel like he's a boss but a friend to talk to and he guides you and when I wanted to get into a team he introduced me that Anubhav you'll play for Kolkata as he recognized my talent of playing cricket.

Who is your favourite cricketer and why?
It would be Sachin Tendulkar as there's been none before him and even I admire Virat Kohli very much.

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