Always cheerful, always smiling, Nayan Mongia's approach to the game has been refreshingly different. Friendly, modest and unassuming by nature, he has always been one of the easily approachable cricketers. But once the action starts, Mongia has always been dead serious about the game. A professional approach marks his batting and wicketkeeping. On his first tour of England in 1990 he impressed no less a personality than Alan Knott, who judged him to be a natural. After a fairly long spell as understudy to Kiran More, Mongia made it to the Indian team in the mid 90s and from then on was been India's No. 1. An efficent wicketkeeper, Mongia is equally at home keeping to Srinath or Kumble. He has displayed lightning quick reflexes while diving to complete a catch or while bringing off a smart stumping. As a batsman, Mongia has proved time and again his immense value to the side in the middle order. But he has had success while opening the innings too, a fact symbolised by his gallant 152 against Australia at New Delhi in 1996. But he will probably be remembered more for off-the-field controversies. He was been dropped from the India team for apparently not trying to win a match, suspended after showing dissent at an umpiring decision, and banned after suspicions of being involved in the match-fixing crisis of the late 1990s. He retired at the end of 2004, after being left out by Baroda, his home state.
Partab Ramchand December 2004