'It was the destiny of the whole team'

On the big stage of the World Cup final, the team rose to the occasion. Again it was the biggest India-Pakistan match ever simply because it was the World Cup final and we finished winners. Late in the night, I spoke to my parents and some friends and I was told that, at one of the famous squares in Ranchi, there were over 50,000 people celebrating. So, in a way, I had an idea of what it meant to the entire country.

"He has already achieved what few would have dared to even dream, if put in his place," said Joginder's friend, alluding to Sharma's modest financial background. "To begin with, he didn't even have the support of his parents, leave alone anything else. But he kept going, believing in himself and his abilities," he said. "So someone who has been through a phase where he had little support and facilities to fall back on, being away from the limelight is something that would not bother him," he said.