New Delhi, Aug. 29 (Agency) As a young boy, Ravi Shastri followed India’s record-breaking run chases on the radio, ears glued for every masterful stroke his idol Gundappa Viswanath played. Barely a decade later he was on the pitch himself, dazzling fans all over the world by hitting six sixes in one over. From being Champion of Champions to one of the world’s top cricket commentators to Team India’s head coach, Ravi Shastri has an incomparable perspective when it comes to the game of cricket. In ‘Stargazing: The Players in My Life’, the legendary all-rounder looks back at the extraordinary talent he has encountered over the years.
Who is the former Indian captain who didn’t do full justice to his talent? Or that bruising bowler who went on to become a best friend? What was the most important lesson the legendary Clive Llyod taught him? What did he want to tell M.S. Dhoni, but didn’t, when the latter announced his decision to retire? How does Shastri set aside his personal bond with Virat Kohli in his role as coach? Full of never-before-revealed anecdotes and insights, Stargazing, co-written with sports journalist Ayaz Memon and featuring illustrations by Shiva Rao, offers a glimpse into how over sixty illustrious champions from across the globe have impressed and inspired one of the world’s greatest ODI players and Team India’s most successful cricket coach.
Ravi Shastri says, “I’ve had the privilege to play against, watch as well as commentate and now coach, some of the greatest cricketers to ever walk out on the pitch. I’m very pleased to be sharing my stories, a glimpse into my exciting life involved with cricket, in this book published by HarperCollins India.” Sonal Nerurkar, Senior Commissioning Editor, HarperCollins India, says, “From Champion of Champions to one of the world’s top cricket commentators to India’s head coach, Ravi Shastri has an incomparable perspective when it comes to the game of cricket. I’m honoured that he chose to publish these stories with us.” Diya Kar, Publisher, HarperCollins India, says, “We couldn’t be more delighted to be publishing Ravi Shastri’s first book. His deep love for the game, his intimate accounts of the cricketers he’s played with, and his sharp observations, make this slice of life a treasure.” Ravi Shastri is a former cricketer and commentator, and current head coach of the India men’s national cricket team.
About HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers India is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollins India publishes some of the finest writers from the Indian Subcontinent and around the world, publishing approximately 200 new books every year, with a print and digital catalogue of more than 2,000 titles across 10 imprints. Its authors have won almost every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, JCB Prize, DSC Prize, New India Foundation Award, Atta Galatta Prize, Shakti Bhatt Prize, Gourmand Cookbook Award, Publishing Next Award, Tata Literature Live Award, Gaja Capital Business Book Prize, BICW Award, Sushila Devi Award, Prabha Khaitan Woman’s Voice Award, Sahitya Akademi Award and the Crossword Book Award. HarperCollins India has been awarded the Publisher of the Year Award three times: at Publishing Next in 2015, and at Tata Literature Live! in 2016 and 2018.HarperCollins India also represents some of the finest publishers in the world including Egmont, Oneworld, Harvard University Press, Bonnier Zaffre, Usborne, Dover and Lonely Planet.