Dr HD Kanga Cricket League: Age is just a number for Dahisar SC’s Gogri, 74, who picks 3-21

Dahisar Sports Club’s Pravin Gogri at Cross Maidan yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble

It takes all sorts to impress in the Dr HD Kanga Cricket League - young, middle-aged and old. On Sunday, former MCA managing committee member and Dahisar Sports Club off-spinner Pravin Gogri, 74, displayed his passion and fitness levels by claiming 3-21 in just four overs against United Friends Sports Club in a ‘D' Division game at the Sunder CC pitch, Cross Maidan, to help his team draw the game.

Rajendra Dabhade (51), Aman Sharma (40) and Dhruval Damniwala (39) enabled Dahisar SC to declare at 209-7. In reply, United Friends SC managed 118-6. Though Swastik Upadhyay (40) and Shlok Sawant (39) tackled the Dahisar bowlers well, the other United batters found it difficult to counter Gogri's cutters. He sent back United Friends SC opener Parth Mhatre (10), one-drop Arush Nainwad (0) and No.4 Vaibhav Bhardwaj (4).

"I took two wickets in my first over and then one in the next over. I enjoyed playing with the boys. There were four U-16 players in my team today [Sunday]. I first played the Kanga League for Mandvi Muslim SC in 1969 and 1970 and later on, for my Dahisar club till date. I want to continue playing. I have also played with Madhav Apte and Vilas Godbole, who also figured in the Kanga League for more than 50 years," Gogri told mid-day after his first match of the season.

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Gogri, who represented then MCA president Manohar Joshi's group, was the association's managing committee member for nine years. He spoke about his passion and fitness: "You need to have a disciplined life. You don't need to be of a certain age to keep your fitness level high. You just need that passion in your heart. I am playing this game because it's my passion and I want to keep myself fit. I go to bed at 7 in the evening and wake up at 2 am. Seven hours of good sleep is sufficient and then I write poetry, read books, and exercise for one and a half-hour every day early in the morning."

Gogri, who also served as a maidan committee secretary, wants MCA to upgrade the maidans. "Our grounds are very poor. I gave a proposal to MCA's new president Ajinkya Naik and his committee to level these maidans and improve their condition as it causes several injuries to players," Gogri signed off.