In his 16-year-long career, the man has played some breathtaking knocks for India, saved us in tight situations and proved himself to be the unsung hero.
VVS Laxman is a name that needs no introduction. In his 16-year-long career, the man has played some breathtaking knocks for India, saved us in tight situations and proved himself to be the unsung hero.
But believe it or not, the man might not have even become a cricketer in the first place. Yes, hailing from a family of doctors, it seemed pretty much guaranteed that Laxman would go into medicine.
Hailing from Hyderabad Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (present-day Telangana).Laxman's parents are physicians Shantaram and Satyabhama of Vijayawada. Laxman is the great-grandnephew of India's second President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Laxman studied at the Little Flower High School, Hyderabad. Though he joined a medical school for his undergraduate studies buut at 17, on the verge of a medical seat, he made a decision that would change his life completely.
The young man opted to go for cricket instead of pursuing his quest to be a doctor. By his own admission, his parents did not stand in the way and let him go for his dream.
“I always wanted to be a doctor like my parents because they were my role models. I had almost got a medical seat. That was probably the toughest period for me when I had to choose between cricket and medicine. Luckily for me, my parents gave me complete freedom to make my own decision. So, it was at the age of 17 that I started to pursue my dream of representing my country in cricket,” Laxman said during an interview with BCCI.tv.
Laxman had a number of cricketing hero’s, which includes the likes of Sir Vivian Richards, David Gower and Greg Chappell. While his Indian heroes comprised of Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.
When asked about the reason behind Hyderabad's success in producing skilled wristy batsmen, he responded, “I think it’s a bit of a coincidence that people like Azharuddin, ML Jaisimha and myself hail from Hyderabad. Still, if I were to think of any reason, it would be because we played a lot on matting wickets. While batting on these wickets, you have to use your wrists more than your elbow to negotiate the bounce of the ball when pitched on good length. That’s probably a reason why we’re wirstier than batsmen from other parts of the country.”
“I used to love playing under tough situations when the team was under pressure. Adversities brought out the best in me. I guess it came from having to be the main batsman for Hyderabad since a young age. I was used to taking up more responsibility when the team was struggling. More than the technique and the skill set, I think the ability to come good in pressure situations was my biggest strength as a batsman,” he added.
He also mentioned that a few cricketers with whom he had played had an influential role in his career. His favorites include the greats such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Anil Kumble. However, he highly praised Tendulkar for his brilliance, Dravid for his temperament, Kumble for his never-die attitude, and Sourav for his courage.
Finally, when asked to reflect on his life as a cricketer over the course of 16 years and how he would like to be remembered, he responded with utmost humility and grace, stating, "I hope to be remembered as someone who consistently played for the betterment of the team. As I reminisce about my career spanning 16 years, I find solace in knowing that I was able to triumph in challenging circumstances and secure victories for my beloved nation. Above all, I desire to be remembered as the individual who wholeheartedly dedicated himself to his country, leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of excellence."
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