What do you get when you mix cricket, masala, vellapanti, quirky remarks and a lot of mastiIJ Delhi Daredevils, of course! The team was in full form at an HTC One association event held in the Capital recently.
Believe it or not, the cricket superstars were completely chilled out during the event and even managed to pull a few pranks on one another. Sample this: At dinner, everytime Dinesh Karthik left his plate to grab some curd, team buddy Manoj Tiwary would have removed it from the table. A quizzical Karthik would still grab a plate and start all over again. This happened twice before Karthik realised it was a prank! “I think I am the most gullible person in the squad. And the most lovable too (laughs). I can’t talk strict to anyone so they feel they can get away,” the temp skipper (Kevin Pieterson is resting an injury) tells you as he dips into his curd rice. But, the wicket-keeper batsman insists he takes his game very seriously.
“I am a learner. I see videos at home to improve my batting whenever I score less. That works for me,” he says shyly. Ask his mates, especially from foreign shores, about food, culture and the heat in India and they are happy to answer. But one question about strategies and they go underground looking for excuses.
Murali Vijay, for one, is not interested in discussing the poor form of DD ahead of the first match in Delhi on Saturday. “It’s too early to say anything. For me, the actual competition begins after the seventh game. And we haven’t done that badly. Given our team strength, we know we are going to bounce back,” Vijay says, not wanting to comment on any on-field schemes.
Meanwhile, the magic behind Ross Taylor’s impeccable form this IPl seems to be the spicy chicken curry that gets him going. He is not the types to go slow on Indian masala as he finds the taste unmatched. “Indian curries have so much flavour. I am loving every bit of them,” he says as he digs into the curry. The New Zealander says he is used to the spices as much as he is to the heat and dust that is India. “Dubai was pleasant. Delhi bahut garam hai!,” he says, taking a shot at his Hindi practice.
But we get the gist. When it comes to beating the heat, different cricketers have different way to beat the simmering Delhi summer. While Wayne Parnell feeds on cucumber to chillax, Quinton De Kock runs to his ice packs every 15 minutes. “It’s killing. But, I think, we will manage. I can’t keep having energy drinks to save myself from dehydration because too much fluids is not a good thing,” Parnell says, laughingly. Kock, meanwhile, has a tough time just finding the right ice cream to round off his dinner. “I have heard so much about the yummy mangoes in India. I can’t wait to feast on them. I have heard you guys can make anything out of a mangoIJ,” he queries. Apart from mangoes, he is also a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar. “He is the master blaster in the true sense. We miss him,” Kock says.
Indian ace bowler Mohammad Shami means business strictly. “I am here to play and perform to the best of my ability. I don’t let things distract me easily,” he says. But Shami is a big foodie who likes his biryani. “I have not tasted the Hyderabadi biryani as yet. I am sure I will get a lot of opportunities,” he says.
This one being a technology event, every cricketer was soon fiddling with his new HTC One M8 handset given to him by the mobile handset company but Mayank Agarwal couldn’t resist mentioning the “sexy look and uber cool design” of the new smartphone.
“I am a tech enthusiast and love fiddling with applications whenever I have the time. I don’t own a very expensive phone because I fear I may lose it. But I am going to keep this device very close to me,” he says just when the evening gets rounded off.
‘2014 has begun on right note’
HTC One was the most popular phone in 2013 yet you are lacking in the numbers. WhyIJ
Our phones are technologically sound and have an impeccable design. That’s why they appeal to everyone. HTC has tried to do things differently in every way possible and we can see the difference. We are comparatively a new brand in India and our main focus is to establish a connect with the Indian smartphone users. We are building our profile and have some robust expansion plans.
Are you excited about your latest offering to the mobile market, the HTC One M8IJ
It is still initial days but we are very happy with the kind of interest that people are showing towards the devise. It is packed with applications and a very well built camera among other unique features. We are hoping to woo the audience with this.
What is so special about the new deviseIJ
We are known for our design so that we have retained that attribute. In fact we have gone a step ahead and given it a newer look. Plus we have overloaded the phone with power and have revved it up with big upgrades. I think, we have done it again.
Any plans on improving your ecosystem for the Indian marketIJ
We are a very customer friendly company and take every comment very seriously. We are building on the ecosystem and new designs to woo our women customers as well. In 2014, HTC One is going to keep rolling out surprises.