Dhawal Kulkarni
I will start from our U-19 days when I was selected for the Cooch Behar Trophy for Mumbai and Ajinkya was leading the side. That was my first experience with him as a captain. We won that year. If I recall it right, it was 2006-07.
From there we were selected to represent India U-19 that toured New Zealand. After that, we were picked for Mumbai Indians in the first year of the IPL. So Ajinkya, also, was part of Mumbai Indians initially.
Ajinkya scored runs and I was the highest wicket-taker for Mumbai in that Cooch Behar Trophy. And next year, he was picked for the Mumbai senior team, and also was part of Mumbai Indians. So both of us — Ajinkya made his debut in 2007 in the Ranji Trophy and I made my white-ball debut for Mumbai in the 2007-08 season.
That was a fantastic group, the one we were part of. But after that also, we produced so many cricketers who have shown that (winning) attitude. It’s Mumbai cricket’s legacy that continues. After us, we have Shreyas Iyer, Surykumar Yadav, Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal… So I think Mumbai won’t stop producing fantastic cricketers. The experience that we have from the senior players, we try to pass it on to the younger guys and that’s what Ajinkya, myself — we have done throughout our career. It’s good to see Ajinkya in a happy space now and doing commentary.
As a captain, Anjikya grew steadily. He grew a lot. I have played under him, won the Ranji Trophy under him, played for Rajasthan Royals under him… So as a captain, he is a very mature, very calm individual and that shows when he is batting also.
And there is aggression within that calmness which he always brought on while batting. As a team-mate, in terms of how he was in the dressing room — he was 100 per cent supportive and always wanted to back his players and give them confidence. Whether he is performing or not, he will always be there for the team. The Ranji Trophy that we won in 2023-24 was a prime example. He wasn’t scoring many runs, but the way he led the team in winning that Ranji Trophy spoke volumes for his character.
Ajinkya rose to become India captain, earned fame, but as a person he never changed. That is one thing everyone should learn from him. Success or failure, he has always been the same individual, be it the Test series that they won in Australia or while scoring 1,000 runs per season during the start of his career. He has always been level-headed and a calm individual.
Ajinkya, as a cricketer and as an individual will always be remembered because of the way he carried himself. A total team man and someone who you want to see in the dressing room. Youngsters have really loved the way he has carried himself and always looked up to him as their idol.
Off the field, he is a fun-loving guy; who always wants to laugh and crack jokes. There are so many favourite memories with him that I’m spoilt for choice.
(Dhawal Kulkarni played 12 ODIs and two T20Is besides playing 96 First-Class matches — 285 wickets — and 130 List A — 223 scalps — matches)
(As told to Shamik Chakrabarty)
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