By Jagdish Yadav
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 24 : For Siddhesh Lad, growing up around some of Mumbai cricket's biggest names was never extraordinary -- it was simply part of life shaped by his father, celebrated coach Dinesh Lad, who has also mentored Indian stars including Rohit Sharma and Shardul Thakur.
Now preparing to lead Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals in the upcoming season of the T20 Mumbai League, Siddhesh reflected on those relationships, crediting his environment and close friendships with fellow India stars for shaping both his cricket and personality.
"Rohit is like a big brother to us. He was a little older than us. So, there is a lot of respect for each other. If I ever feel like it, I take his advice," Siddhesh told ANI.
While Rohit remained an elder figure in the group, Siddhesh said his strongest friendships were built with contemporaries Shreyas Iyer and Shardul, with whom he spent years playing age-group cricket.
"But I have a very good friendship with Shardul and Shreyas. In fact, every other day, we keep talking about something or the other, whether it's cricket, personal life, or whatever. So I think their influence has helped me a lot. If you look at Shardul and Shreyas, they are very positive people. They are also very successful in their careers. I feel you become the product of your environment. So how people are in your environment, a lot of things depend on that too," he added.
The son of a Dronacharya Award-winning coach, Siddhesh has quietly built a strong domestic career of his own with 5623 first-class runs. Last season, he captained Mumbai for a few matches and scripted a remarkable run with four consecutive first-class centuries, joining an elite list of legends such as Sachin Tendulkar and Vijay Merchant.
Despite his father's towering presence in Mumbai cricket, Siddhesh said his father has always allowed him space to make his own decisions.
"I keep talking to my father about cricket. And he always tells me to be more humble in my cricket journey. And tells me 'whoever you are today, it's because of cricket'. So, we have normal conversations about everything, but my father doesn't go into that much detail. Because he says, 'these are your decisions'. But if he feels like it, he'll say it. But, usually, he doesn't go into that much detail (about cricket)," Siddhesh said.
Mumbai's Ranji Trophy campaign ended in disappointment last season after a quarter-final defeat to Karnataka, but Siddhesh believes the team performed strongly throughout the year and only fell short in crucial moments.
"If you look at our entire season, it was a very dominating. Sometimes, your fate doesn't support you. Our goal this time will be how we can go better as a team in the next season. We did a very good comeback in the Karnataka game (quarter-final match). But we couldn't win the moments we wanted to win. But overall, I would say that the red-ball season was very good for us," he said.
Now, Siddhesh will aim to defend the T20 Mumbai League crown with MSC Maratha Royals in Season 4. The tournament begins June 1 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, where India stars and Mumbai's next crop of talent will take centre stage.