Lalchand Sitaram Rajput is a former Indian cricketer, who is a former opener and coach and has played in two Tests and four ODIs from 1985 to 1987. After the conclusion of his playing career, he served as manager of the Indian national team for a brief period. He has also held administrative positions with the Mumbai Cricket Association. Rajput had a distinguished career as an opening batsman for Bombay, and at one time was considered one of the best openers in India after Sunil Gavaskar. He was an occasional off-spinner, who also attended a coaching clinic held at Bangalore in April 2007. He was coach of Under-19 Indian Cricket Team during the tour of England. Rajput was appointed as the manager of the winning Indian cricket team for the Twenty20 World Championship 2007 held in South Africa. Rajput was the coach of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2008. In a very freewheeling chat with SANDEEP HATTANGADI, he tells us about his life and times in the 22 yards game.
You are credited with the resurgence of the minnows Afghanistan team as the international team presently. How did this happen?
It was a symbiotic relationship between the players and me as the coach, who could mould the talented bunch of cricketers into an international team. We worked hard and practiced a lot to get into mainstream cricket and got a Test status and are in the ICC full time members. The Afghan cricketers play tough cricket and they have a swaggering style of cricket. They have an internationally acclaimed leg spinner like Rashid Khan who will soon be the best in the business. He will be like the Sachin Tendulkar of leg spin bowling.
You refused to be their coach in the second season? Is there any specific reason for that?
Yes. The authorities of Afghan cricket wanted me to come to Kabul which was not feasible for me, as earlier I had trained them at places like Dubai and Noida. But Kabul was too difficult for me so I had to say no but my good wishes are with the Afghan team.
Do you foresee any coaching stints in IPL?
Yes. I am in talks with several teams and the announcement will come soon.
The Indian cricket team is going through a very successful period in all forms of cricket? What do you attribute this to?
They are a bunch of young hardworking boys and a dynamic as well as aggressive leader like Virat Kohli is responsible for the success of this team.
You were a very talented opener but couldn’t make any much headway in international cricket? Is there any specific reason?
Yes. I was given mainly limited opportunities and there were openers, more talented than me like the Little Master Sunny Gavaskar and the hard hitting Krishnamachari Srikkanth and the dependable Ravi Shastri and the talented Navjyot Sidhu. But I enjoyed my place under the sun and have absolutely no regrets.
Is it true that Sunil Gavaskar paved the way for you to be in the Sri Lanka tour as the opening batsman?
When Sunil Gavaskar indicated that he would like to bat lower down the order in the mid 1980s, the search was on for suitable opening batsmen. And on the basis of some sterling performances on the domestic circuit, I was the choice for the tour of Sri Lanka in 1985. Solid rather than spectacular, I batted well on my Test debut scoring 32 and 61, adding 76 runs for the third wicket with Dilip Vengsarkar in the second innings. But after scores of 0 and 12 in the next Test I was replaced by Ravi Shastri and lost my place in the side.
How do you see Mumbai cricket team?
Well. Good things are on the anvil as former international wicket keeper batsman Sameer Dighe has been appointed and the coach of the Mumbai Ranji team and we will soon rise like the proverbial Phoenix and the Mumbai team will see its former glory soon.
What’s your view on the Australian visiting team’s forthcoming tour?
Yes. I feel the Indian team is much more talented than the present Australian team led by Steve Smith and they didn’t have a good match in Bangladesh and lost and so their morale will be a bit down and our talented Indian spinners will definitely be a tough nut to crack for them.
With that the dependable batsman and coach signs off with a good delivery!
