‘Playing cricket helps in corporate life’
Shivam Sinha has been playing cricket for more than two decades now; says it’s a game that helps you become mentally stronger
BENGALURU : Be it school, college or even work, cricket has always been a part of Shivam Sinha’s life. Having played the sport for more than two decades now, the Indiassetz CEO knows first hand that even if you get run-out in life, nothing matters more than how you pick yourself up again. “Team sports teach you a lot. It’s akin to corporate life where you have to play to everyone’s strength,” says the MBA graduate from Institute of Finance and International Management, Bangalore.
Shivam Sinha’s favourite bat, a Larsons model, has been by his side since 2001
While sports has always played a huge role in Sinha’s life – besides cricket he was also part of his school’s table tennis and badminton teams – cricket is the game that has stuck with him most. Prior to Indiassetz, he worked in the banking sector at HSBC and Standard Chartered, where he was part of the cricket team too. “At HSBC, I played for their Bengaluru team, which I also captained, and then for their South and national teams as well. At Standard Chartered too, I was the captain of the South team,” recalls Sinha. Although he hasn’t taken part in corporate tournaments for two years now, Sinha still meets his former colleagues for a 20 or 25-over match once every 15 days.
In most matches, Sinha often (unintentionally) reaches out for his Larsons bat. Despite three handle changes and a chipped bottom that was fixed, the bat has still managed to stay by his side since 2001 and has become his favourite. Does it earn the title of a lucky bat then? “No, I never thought of it as luck. But somehow, I invariably always reach out to this bat first. It’s something even my teammates have noticed!,” he says. When asked if it’s the same bat he had with him during this interaction with CE, he laughs. “Yeah, see! I didn’t even consciously choose this bat for today. It just comes into my hand.”
Sinha’s memorable match moments are many but the one that stands out the most is his Standard Chartered team’s ‘down and out’ moment from a match in Chennai. “Somehow, things changed for the better and we scored 73 runs from 23 balls.” Calling it a sport that helps you become mentally and psychologically stronger, he says, “You forget all about the performance in your previous match, only the present one matters.”