How Sachin Destroyed My Life ...but gave me an All Access Pass to the world of cricket

by Vikram Sathaye

How Sachin Destroyed My Life by Vikram Sathaye, chronicles how Vikram accidentally became a stand-up comedian and cricket humourist and got to live the ultimate fan boy dream of having an All Access Pass to the world of Indian Cricket, and being up close with the team for more than a decade. The book documents his incredible journey of Indian Cricket as he takes us inside dressing rooms, hotels and the inner thoughts of leading cricketers.

With a foreword by Sachin Tendulkar, this book is laced with crackling humour and brimming with interesting anecdotes, insights, quotes, and candid photographs, from cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, among others. This book promises to reveal many more inside secrets!

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Humor

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Gorab · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating - 3/5

Target audience : All the Indian cricket fans, especially Sachin fans.
Written by a stand up comedian turned cricket enthusiast, or vice versa, it sounds like a bunch of interesting tea time conversations from an insider's point of view. Picked this book as I was impressed by Vikram's stand up act in 2006 telecast on set max wherein he mimicked Sachin, Tony Greig and other legends. This book is like reading a series of cricket columns, only better because of the hilarious writing style. During the first couple of chapters, I was chuckling throughout!!!

My favourite highlights from this book :
"For all those who don't know, Sangakkara is a law student and carries his books on cricket tours. There is a lot of similarity between a lawyer and a wicket-keeper, as they spend most of their lives appealing, usually for the wrong reasons. The only difference being that one takes off the bail while the other one applies for it."
"The shot Sachin played was a slash over the slip cordon for a ball that was of chest height. This shot was like watching Basic Instinct with your parents - Pure Scandal!"
"Sachin's Tennis Elbow has played a greater role in popularising tennis in India than the combined heroics of Sania, Mahesh and Leander put together."
"The last time Sehwag moved his feet was when he was 2.5-years-old."
"Kapil Dev's English and Srikanth's Hindi have destroyed the educational fabric of this country."
"The fact that India is the cardiac capital of the world is perhaps not because of our love for samosas and aloo tikki but possibly because of the years we spent 'by-hearting' which ought to have added immense pressure on the heart."
"Every spinner who is making a mark is creating his own theatre and performing art. Paul Adams with his head inside the knees action, Muralitharan with the popping ghost eyes which can make Kathakali dancers look like novices, and the latest addition being Sunil Narine and Ajantha Mendis who even added inputs from another game called carrom board in their balling."
"Off-spinners are accorded the same status in cricket that mopeds get in the motorbike chain, with fast bowling being compared to a Harley Davidson."
"If you thought Munaf was bad, we also had a struggling fast bowler by the name of Ashish Nehra. I refer to him as struggling because with him, you got the impression that someone was holding him from the back and he had to struggle to reach the bowling mark."
"BCCI purposely didn't want them (fast bowlers) to bowl fast because they wanted Anil Kumble to retire as India's fastest bowler."
"Nowadays, most commentators working with Sidhu say that in case he doesn't allow them to speak for an entire over, they declare it a maiden."
"Imran confronted Sidhu - 'I am optimistic about Pakistan's success'. Sidhu replied - 'Optimistic is the one who thinks bullshit is a fertiliser.' "
"Sourav Ganguly exclusively spoke to the Telegraph and said, 'No comments.' "
"In a home series the Indian curry probably claims more victims off the field than the bowlers on the field."

[Kaustubh Dudhane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have seen Vikram Sathaye at CEAT tyre cricket awards mimicking cricketers and commentators a few years ago on YouTube.

Video link: https://youtu.be/7FjTZbK71t4

I laughed and laughed till my stomach ached. When I bought this book, I had similar expectations. And boy oh boy! I was once again ten years old. The worship of Sachin, frequent heartbreaks due to failure of Indian team, gully cricket and table cricket teleported me to Amravati.

The stories about various cricketers are like golddust. Although this book is hilarious, the author's take on why Indians suck at sports is insightful. What I loved about the book is that the book is not about just the author. It feels as if the book is specifically written for me or a billion other loonies like me.

[Vadiraj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book during one of my domestic travels. After long & tiring at office, I wanted some light content to unwind. While waiting to board flight, i did read through first 30 pages effortlessly with good smile on my phase. I vaguely remembered watching his Video in youtube. I did finish this book in next couple of sittings. For someone who loves game of cricket and always wanted to know more about players, this book has touched up few interesting encounters. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Vikram is witty and hilarious..and also leaves good message in each chapter. Thank you.

[Ayush · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a signed copy from the author.

The book is good and is written from a comedian's perspective. Jokes are old and difficult to get laugh at. It was a quick finish and helped me come out of a reading slump.

A couple of chapters like on Sledging etc are written well. He also covers all behind the scenes happening, like Mane Kaka who takes care of the wellness of players.

I liked Vikram's story and how he could build his career out of a tough profession with high competition. He narrates his own story and how he stood by Tony Greig's of the world by mimicking all the superstars in front of them.

I would have loved more anecdotes and insights on these closely guarded cricketer's lives.

[E.T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 A nice breezy read for a busy schedule / travel.
The author is a "cricket comic" cum sports presenter and this book is a sort of "behind the scenes" of cricket. Commentary, IPL parties, cricketers' off-field preparations, Indian fans etc have been covered in a light, entertaining yet satisfying way. Brings smiles to ur face every now and then with his remarks and anecdotes.
My fav chapter was d one on Sehwag and plan to read a bio of his soon.

[Sai Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A treasure trove of anecdotes and what goes on behind the scenes in cricket compiled into a light,breezy read

[Scottshak Scottshak · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is witty and quite entertaining. Lets you in on what went inside the locker room of the then Indian Cricket Team. Comes from a perspective of a wannabe cricketer Vikram Sathaye, the book sticks mostly to the dressing room chortles and tries to peel through the mindsets of the players. It doesn’t capture everything, of course, as Dhoni puts it – “These writers want to know everything about you and then when you are retired you have nothing left for your own biopics.”

Titled deliberately so you are forced to pick it up, Vikram Sathaye’s book says nothing really bad about the God of cricket. So people should relax. It just mostly speaks about the author’s insecurities and jokes about it galore. The strength lies there, where you can laugh at your own self. He does that all along throughout the book covering it with great snappy jests.

At times you feel nostalgia kicking in, finding a lot more about some of those great cricketers you grew up watching. Little things you didn’t know about them existed and learning about all that makes you elated. How these people you only saw on TV or in a sports stadium, before they disappeared into their elusive lives, lived and behaved in real life, knowing about them up close succeeds in amusing you.

You get to know a lot about the author who wished to be an aspiring cricketer but couldn’t go anywhere because he had a cavalcade of talent driving ahead of him. That factor kind of relates to you as well if you are an Indian man since you have grown up dreaming about being a cricketer all your life. A lot of the punches kick you in the groin too and it is easy to laugh with him with all the could-have-beens that you are forced to swallow.

Overall an entertaining book that constantly manages to keep a smile on your face. You are going to enjoy it more if you are a true Cricket Fan who primarily hails from the era of Sachin.

[Koduvayur Harikrishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vikram Sathye lives up to his reputation as a stand-up comedian with this book. The book starts with an explanation of the title: how, like millions of other children who grew up in India during the period when Sachin Tendulkar strode as a colossus across the cricketing cosmos, Sathye was also the subject of constant comparison with his super-achieving nemesis for anything and everything in his life. Having been one of those millions, I can empathise with him wholeheartedly! But fate, in its own strange way, brings Sachin and Sathye close (which luck I sadly never got), and then develops a relationship which is described in a humorous, yet touching way by the author. In his foreword, Sachin touches on this serendipity which blossomed into a long and close friendship. The author openly acknowledges this good fortune as the basis for his insider view of the game, on and off the field. The book goes beyond the Sachin conundrum - there are any number of interesting tidbits about the various other quirky, unpredictable, yet very loveable characters who dominated the Indian men's cricket domain in those days. The book is full of admirable quotations by various cricketers- though at times I got the impression that at least some of them were actually Sathye's own! The book ends on a tender note about Army jawans, and a genuine thank you to Sachin. All in all, this book will appeal to the sentiments of every single cricket fan - and not just the billion or more such manic lovers of the game in India! Thank you Vikram, this book made my day!

[Ashish Dixit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title is the only funny line in this book

I saw Sathaye on web series show what the duck and thought this book would be a great roller coaster ride about the lives of cricketers and things related to it. Unfortunately book offered something mix of it and result was kind of disappointing. I would have given it a 1-2 stars but 3 stars to share at least something related to cricketers.

[Ayush Mishra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is quite amateur, but the anecdotes are wonderful. I started this book for anecdotes and it was quite full of it. There are some repetitive ones which a cricket lover would have already seen or heard, but some were quite new and revealed more about the players and commentators and even statisticians. All in all, a good book if you like to read cricket stories.

[RAYA GHOSH · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is a "cricket comic" cum sports presenter and this book is a sort of "behind the scenes" of cricket. Commentary, IPL parties, cricketers' off-field preparations, Indian fans etc have been covered in a light, entertaining yet satisfying way. Brings smiles to ur face every now and then with his remarks and anecdotes.
My fav chapter was d one on Sehwag and plan to read a bio of his soon.

[Viswambher Kambhampati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some details were insightful.

Overall, it seemed that Vikram tried too much to create a controversy to attract attention. Although he mentioned in the authors note not to judge him for this, it's still not possible to overlook the cringe.

[Nagarajan Somasundaram · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are an ardent cricket lover and wants to know little bit about them read this. Do not expect the book to be humorous. I had lots of expectation and this book dose not meet at all.

[Anik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the book that I love to read,always.

[Deepak Panyam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read.

[Smriti Tiwari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Persoanlly didnt like it much. :(

[Shweta Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consistently funny and with great sachin anticdotes, what more can an indian cricket fan ask for?

[Bhaargav · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very ok. Some interesting anecdotes but other than that, not much. Written like someone was texting, not sure if this went through much editing.

[Abhilash Ruhela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly speaking, I didn't know even the name of Vikram Sathaye before reading this book. I do not know if I have been so clueless, lost, ignorant, naive or dumb but I seriously didn't know about his stand-up acts, commentary and comic timing before experiencing this awesome journey of 208 pages. "How Sachin Destroyed My Life" is the book I am talking about. It entered the Bestseller list at No. 7 in its first week of release itself. That's how interesting the title, introduction and face value of this book is! You know it's not just another book written on Sachin as it has foreword written by the Master Blaster himself. And the back cover-page has comments by Rahul Dravid and Harsha Bhogle. That's enough to pick this book up.


Starting with the review, I must say I totally agree with what Rahul Dravid has said for it. The book is funny and entertaining but it's also insightful and enlightening. I liked the starting of the book when in an autobiographical manner, Vikram starts telling about his early life and how his parents started giving examples of Sachin Tendulkar to show how irresponsible he behaves at the age of 16. Later on, even when he scores good runs, it gets compared with what Sachin scored on the same day. Somehow he understands that Cricket is not his cup of tea and goes on graduating and doing MBA like several kids do. He gets his first job and he happily announces his package at home. It again gets compared with the million dollar deal that Sachin agreed upon with a brand. The initial chapters makes you chuckle, giggle, smile and laugh out loud. The one-liners are amazing and every expression depicted and comparison made are excellent. Some of this even continues throughout the book at regular intervals.


I liked how the book is not only about its title but more about the facts related to Cricket and players that we do not know about. These are the things that are not even discussed in interviews or media reports. There are many unsaid stars behind making these players the legend in their own way. Vikram talks about people like Ramesh Mane who is popularly known as Mane kaka. He serves players with massage, acupuncture and various other activities that helps in helping their body recover from injuries and aches. Vikram also talks about what goes behind IPL and how junior cricketers can easily get influenced by money and sexy actresses around them. That segment surprised me a lot as I never expected this might be a reason behind indulging in match-fixings.

There are several chapters dedicated to the cricketers such as Sachin, Sehwag, Dravid and Yuvraj Singh. Sathaye also explores the life of commentators, ex-cricketers, fans, statisticians like Mohandas Menon etc. In all, I would say this is a very good attempt and I doubt if any Cricket fan will dislike it. Recently, I read a book by Shamya Dasgupta that helped me get little more closer to what happens in Cricket that I could have ever known and after reading this book, I have equally liked Vikram Sathaye's attempt. The power and USP of this book is its potential in making you laugh and still informing you with substances that you will never hear from any Cricket Legend or IPL's new rising star. If you are a Cricket fan, this definitely deserves to be in your hand and if you are not, do read this as it might make you start following Cricket. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

[Satheesh Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light-hearted take on the state of Indian Cricket over the past couple of decades!

The book is dotted with really interesting anecdotes which form the crux of the book. There are anecdotes from cricketers, ex-cricketers, commentators, journalists, statisticians and basically anyone and everyone who is remotely related to cricket. Some of the anecdotes are really funny, and give a lot of insights into the conglomerate that is the Indian cricketing stage. The book is worth reading just for these anecdotes.

Anecdotes aside, the author describes the whats and hows on what is happening off-field when a cricket match is going on. One gets a first-hand tale of these happenings, things which we generally take for granted. Particularly, the ones involving journalists and commentators. For instance, he vividly describes how a commentator has to juggle multiple things simultaneously, be it getting an interesting stat from a statistician, getting shouted at by the producer in his earpiece, or trying to keep up with a colleague's wit all the while trying to stay calm and be funny so that he gives a good on-the-air performance. And here I was thinking that commentators were just bored old men chatting up on the good old days!

Another nice thing about the book is, the author speaks of the Indian team and the players, not as a critic or a journalist, but as a fan of Indian cricket. This strikes a cord with the reader, since he is able to perfectly relate to a lot of the author's feelings and interpretations.



Now the cons.

The author himself accepts that he is just a comedian and not a writer. But still, one does get a bit put-off(just a bit) occasionally by the amateurish writing.
Also, some of the stuff the author analyses make for pretty dull reading. While a lot of good witty jokes/witticisms are found throughout the book, occasionally during the course of the book, you are presented with the author's views on some mundane topic, dotted with seriously lame jokes. Some of the jokes were so lame that they made me groan out load. They were that bad. Such sections are far and few between thankfully.




But these are only minor annoyances. They don't take anything away from the overall essence of the book.

Definitely worth spending a weekend reading!

[Aashish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vikram Sathaye summarizes his years of cricket watching experience from close quarters in this book. [SPOILER] Contrary to the title of the book, the book does not have much to do with Sachin Tendulkar. [/SPOILER]. This is a collection of observation on various players, officials and the game itself through the lens of an anchor / media professional.

Vikram made his mark as a stand up cricketing comedian - a unique space in itself. This potentially required him to write one line jokes, witty statements and staccato laughter tracks. The book itself is written in much the same manner. There are several brilliant short sentences which keep the reader engaged and make one laugh.

It is a good effort, making for a breezy read. Hiding behind humour, the author also manages to pack a few punches for individuals who he did not get along with in a great manner. The book brings out not just jokes and incidents but also good insights in several places.

However, the overall flow of the book is patchy - think of a movie with good individual shots without any great cohesion or binding force. The book is a first for the author, so fair to hope improvements if the author chooses to write more.

[Ritesh Pase · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a simplicity in the narrative combined with the familiarity of the premise that makes this a very quick read. If u belong to the generation that grew with the career of Sachin Tendulkar as the only constant in your life around a changing economy and even more changing fabric and nuances of the middle class Indian society, the writer will have u in the introduction it self. On the positive side, Vikram manages to drop anecdotes and snippets of different players' testimonies from time to time to keep u on engaged. On the not so positive side, the book does drift in the middle like a high scoring test match where number 8, 9 and 10 hang around not really moving the game in any direction. There is no insight in this book that you have not discussed to death in you friend circles if u have even a few drops of cricket lover blood in your veins but I guess that is the whole value proposition here.
This is one of those books that will make you take a few moments and think where were u when the said event in the book is being described and bring a twitch of a smile on your lips at the recollection of those memories...

[Koral Dasgupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading Vikram Sathaye's How Sachin Destroyed My Life. For someone like me who always took more interest in cricketers than in cricket, and never understood why husband or father would fret over "bad cricket" when India is not even playing...the book connects beautifully as it tackles the human side of the game. The stories behind flashbulbs and shout-outs; the emotions beyond a win or a loss; and the world of people who live or die over the stroke of a bat! What I loved most is the way the book glides effortlessly through cricketers and fans and wives and reporters and commentators, talking about sportsmanship as a way of life and suggesting that every profession has its equations. The research and the coverage, which is not restricted to those 22 yards, is mind blowing. "Bats up at the audience" dude, for attempting this; Sachin Tendulkar has clapped already :)

[Praveen Ramesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this book is a must read if you have ever followed cricket in your life. This book that has forward by the god himself, thorws some generous light on lesser known aspects of the game,Vikram has tried to cover almost all aspects of the game, highlights the role of commentators, journalists, physio, fans among others.

The part I enjoyed the most was the chapter which talked about Mohan Das Menon. I was never aware of the fact that statisticians play such an important role in the commentary team.

This books gives us a lot of insights in a funny, quirky and in a witty way that only Vikram could have pulled off. Hats off this awesome piece. One of the best books I have read in the recent times.

Dare I say this: I liked this more than Playing it my way by the master. :P

[Kavita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the book from the word go. Very interesting read, brilliant observations about the cricketers and the book gives a wonderful insight about how a cricketer prepares himself, his observations, mind games, sledging. I realized how the commentator, statistician whom we feel have the most glamorous job of just sitting and talking have to do research and the knowledge they have about the games. Hats off to the author for such detail explanation of things we must have hardly observed.

For detailed review:
http://kavisthoughts.blogspot.in/2015...

[Vinay Mehta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its a half hearted attempt to make a funny book about cricket incidents. The author started on good note and got the attention hooked as he made the master blaster association to his life..
But what happened to later chapters? Oh yes, he didnt had anything so he started mixing all the stuff he had in his sleeve just to make it a book and not a series of blogs.
My advice to author is to please stick to his comedy standups and not to writing (suggesting constructively)

[Parth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book on cricket, cricketers and sundries. It's a light but must read for any Indian cricket lover. Having travelled with and stayed close to the Indian cricket team, Vikram provides and insider view to their lives. Loved the way he presented many incidents, issues and lesser known facts about the game and the players.That said, jokes were poor. Hardly makes you laugh. But there wasn't need to attempt any. Book is a classic one in itself.

[Prakhar Sachdeo · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the people who love cricket this book will be a delight.Through this book Vikram has shared insights about Indian cricket ,what is like to be an Indian cricketer and all the drama surrounding it. What I liked about this book was the author's sense of humor. If by chance you have lost interest in the game of cricket , make an effort to read this book. I am sure Vikram would make you love the game again.

[Narayana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the author clearly says, he is a standup comedian, not a professional writer. The narration is pretty basic, and there are lots of PJs, but it is funny in many places. The book does give an insight into the problems and preparations of cricketers, and for that it is a decent one time read for fans.

[Ronak Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. If you have spare time, time won't be wasted if you pick this book.
The book is all about cricket and cricket only. Though it gives glimpse what goes onto off the field.
Nice read over all.