Outspoken and daring cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad made headlines recently by winning the Lok Sabha Election 2024 from Bardhaman, Durgapur, West Bengal, on a TMC ticket. He talks about hard work and grit, challenges and conquests with us…
By Andrea CostaBir
Touted as an aggressive right-hand batsman and a quick off-spinner during his cricketing career in the ‘80s, Kirti Azad played for the Indian national cricket team and was a prominent member of Kapil’s Devils – the Indian cricket team that won the historic 1983 World Cup.
Post his cricketing heyday, Azad gravitated towards politics – possibly thanks to his father Bhagwat Jha Azad’s legacy of being the former Chief Minister of Bihar. Elected to Parliament on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket from Darbhanga, Bihar, he served multiple terms in the Lok Sabha.
In November 2021, Azad joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and thanks to his go-getting attitude, quickly gained ground in the party. Gung-ho about making a difference, he soldiers on spiritedly, showing absolutely no signs of slowing down!
Your cricket career spanned a significant period, and you were part of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian team. What memories from that tournament stand out the most for you?
It was the best moment of my life when we became the world champions. We never expected to win, we just told ourselves: Let’s play our best and reach at least the semi-finals. But then after defeating the mighty West Indies in the very first game, our confidence soared and we realized that yes, we can do it!
The inspirational captaincy of Kapil Dev leading from the front, and everybody contributing towards the game was one of the best examples of playing as a team. When you play selflessly as a team, nobody can stop you from winning.
The 1983 World Cup brings back great memories for me. India became a cricketing superpower, the next World Cup came to India in 1987. We had people from the Indian board as chairman, president and members of the various committees of the ICC.
ESPN came to India seeing the popularity of the game and started showing the game from 30 different angles. Money started coming in, which was good for the players and their families as it gave them security. During our time, we only played for pride, there was no money in the game.
As a former all-rounder, you excelled in both batting and bowling. Can you share a match or series where you felt your skills had a crucial impact on the team’s performance?
Well, I would say that the 1983 triumph was the biggest because it brought India on the cricketing world map. My performance during the semi-finals was very vital. When I came in to bowl, England were 96 for 2 in 20 overs and an average of four-and-a-half/ five runs those days used to be very high.
So at that time when I was called to bowl along with Jimmy (Mohinder) Amarnath, we bowled 24 overs in tandem, 12 each respectively. He gave away 27 runs and picked up two wickets. I picked up the wicket of the most dangerous, one of the best all-rounders in the world, Ian Botham. So that was a very memorable moment for me.
Cricket has evolved significantly since your playing days…
A lot of new rules have come in. During my time, we didn’t have the inner circle of 30 yards. There were no restrictions on bouncers. Wickets were not covered. The equipment was not so good. Helmets were unknown to us, they had just started coming in…
Indian cricket has seen tremendous success in recent years. What are your thoughts on the current state of Indian cricket?
During our time, we didn’t have these India A matches and travelling across the world, playing other A teams like Australia A, England A, West Indies A. This gives a lot of exposure to the boys. From the very beginning, they know who their opposition is.
And the support staff that you have now – a video analyst, coach, batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, physiotherapist, doctor, trainer etc – has ensured tremendous success for the Indian team. During our time, we were just 14 or 15 players with one manager who looked after our accommodation and travel.
As someone who has experienced the highs and lows of the cricketing world, what advice would you give aspiring young cricketers looking to make a mark in the sport?
There are highs and lows in life, cricket is no exception. At times, we tend to lose heart if we’re not doing well. And especially if you are a sportsperson because as a sportsperson, you have seen the highs and lows during your playing days. We are emotional fools. We win, we cry; we lose, we cry. Because it matters. The team matters. The country matters. Hence, in sport, emotions take over.
My father always said that if good days don’t stay, bad days also won’t. So, keep on working hard, and never be dejected or disappointed. You will receive the results of your hard work.
Also, administrators play a very important role as they can do a lot of things if they know what is required. However, many administrators who have never had experience with sports or been through these ups and downs, don’t really understand what it is all about. So a good administrator is a person who knows the game, who knows what to do and when.
You made a transition from cricket to politics. What motivated you to enter the political arena?
Well, we are three brothers. My eldest brother is a doctor of ophthalmology. He is one of the 10 doctors in the world who does retina detachment operation through laser and by pumping in water. He is very well-known and his technique is followed by the name of Azad Technique in the United States of America.
My second brother was an IPS officer and served as Special Director in Delhi’s Bureau and also in the Central Information Commission. I was the youngest who studied at St Stephen’s College in Delhi, did History Honours, and was working with Bokaro Steel for 10 years from ‘83 to ‘93 when I joined politics.
Around that time, I had almost retired from cricket and by chance, I met a friend when I had gone to Bangkok to play a six-a-side cricket tournament, who knew Mr LK Advani’s family. Later, I came to know that his children were my juniors in school. That is how I met them and got involved in politics. I became an MLA in ‘93 in Delhi and subsequently, a three-time Member of Parliament from Darbhanga and now, I am a Member of Parliament of the Trinamool Congress from Bardhaman, Durgapur.
…While playing cricket, people would come to watch us play and if we won, they would be very happy and appreciate us! If we lost, they would throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at us. That’s life and in politics, you go to the people, you try and understand their problems, you try and solve them, you are there with them in their good days and their bad days. So, politics is serving the people and I really enjoy that. That is why I have been a four-time Member of Parliament and an MLA once.
As a robust politician, you have been actively involved in various issues. Could you highlight the causes that you are passionate about and work towards?
When I was a Member of Parliament from Darbhanga, I have a record of asking 446 questions in Parliament. For my constituency, there used to be a single railway line which I got converted into a double line. I got an airport to Darbhanga. I started the Maithili Prasaran from the All India Radio of Darbhanga. So also the Makhana Anusandhan Kendra. I also got many schools and community halls built… all this gave me immense satisfaction.
You have had a successful and long-standing innings in both cricket and politics. How do you navigate challenges, and what lessons have you learned from them?
Challenges have to be accepted. Challenges have to be overcome with hard work; there is no substitute for hard work. Work is worship and if you carry on working hard, you will succeed.
With your diverse experiences in cricket, politics and activism, what impact do you wish to make on future generations?
Whether you are in cricket, politics or activism; you’re a doctor or an engineer; always be ready to improvise. If you know how to improvise, you’ll be better than the other guy. Keep working hard and nothing will be able to stop you from achieving what you want.
