OUT

The IP season is on and what better than an episode out of HTA Cricket. HTA as the leading agency in Delhi was much into cricket. There are stories of Denis Joseph bowling a beamer to a client or Shankar Rajan playing a sedate inning. One person who may be given the credit for keeping the tradition alive at Delhi office was Sanjay Bali.

But when Sunil Gupta took over Delhi office, cricket took to a new dimension. There was never any  shortage of Kit or stadium money.  This is when  Delhi office team toured Kolkatta and HTA won the ‘Media Transasia Agency cricket’ trophy. I was part of the team..

What I am sharing is a small insignificant episode. It is well known in the HTA circle. Sanjay Bali reminded me of it in one of his comments on my face-book account. When I met Sunil Gupta at Delhi at the E4M CMO League last year, even he referred to the  comment but said he did not remember what it was all aboout.

So here, it’s for you Sunil.

It was just another Saturday morning. HTA Delhi and IMRB teams found themselves at the well maintained cricket ground at the SriFort sports complex. It was a friendly game. Team members were swapped to make a match of it. It was not rare that at the last hour playing teams to realise that they were short of players and borrowed from other teams.

I am not sure of what all happened and who won or lost that day. The incident that is imprinted in my mind happened towards the fag end of the game.

I was the Main Umpire and Sanjay Bali was at time the square-leg umpire. Some bowler was trying to ball flat fast off spin.  Ravi Verma the art director was the runner and facing the ball was Sunil Gupta.

Already for the last 3 balls, Sunil Gupta had moved across the wicket and comfortably padded the balls outside the off stump. On every occasion there was a loud appeal. Sunil would shake his head showing his back to the umpire. All the 3 times I gave him not-out as no way the ball would have hit the stumps.

Ball number 4. The bowler moved in and in a smooth action delivered the ball. This ball bowled from the edge of the crease pitched on and around the off stump ad instead of holding its line or moving toward the leg for some reason straightened. Sunil stepped forward, bat held behind his right pad, offering no stroke. The ball hit him below the knee roll. The appeal was loud enough. In my opinion the ball would have crashed between the off and the middle stump. And hence I raised my finger.

No one really gives Sunil out on cricket field. Not until unless he is bowled ( you still had chance to call a NO ball) or caught. LBW was definitely not something you considered. It was defined as a CLM ( Career Limiting move). But then he was out and I gave him out.

Sunil glared at me. I held to my decision. He was now visibly getting agitated. He threw his bat and shouted. ‘Do you at all know how to play? Mr Kotnala this was not out’. I held my ground. And said something people said was suicidal. ‘OUT- and this behaviour does not seem right for the head of largest agency in town- and as for cricket I have played at higher level than you could have- and mind you on filed I am the umpire and you just a player- get out of the field’.

Sensing the situation- Sanjay Bali stepped in between holding me back. Sunil after showing his displeasure – picking the bat that he had thrown sometime back -walked out. I was shunted to the leg umpire position and that’s where I remained for the rest of the match.

Post match there was beer and some snacks.  I had my bear and had the satisfaction of hearing Ravi Verma tell me, he was out boss, but I would not have given him out. You know how passionate he is about his game. I was to later realise this when I saw Sunil making to the  final of a reality show by one of the largest sports channel

Anyway, I was advised by many HTA people that I should not really come to office for next 3-4 days before this cools off. Or if I wanted to be in office- I must keep a lain signed resignation letter ready. Well I did come to office and nothing happened but for a month or 2- I could sense a clear coldness from Sunil’s side, With passage of time even that died.

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Other episodes in Advertising and marketing

● Thank You  ●  Rain Clause – I  ●   Lethal Combination ● APPETITE  ●  Puncture ●   Adultery- the moment  ●  ASSET ●  I am Sankar ●   The Count  ●  Introduction  ●  Time Bomb ●   Small Tile   ●  Shoot Report  ● Sardar Khush Hoga ● Shoot At Mud Island  ● Kaali Peeli Picture ●  Upgrade   ● Juhi Effect ●  Power Of Punjab ●   Two More ●  Eleven Minutes ●  The Cherry Win  ●  The Presentation ●   Black Gold ●   Buffered ●  Continue With Client  ●   Not Fired    ●   One Less Decision  ●   The Ghost Of 35 Rani Jhansi Road Jhandewalaon    ●  The Problem  ●    Imported Art Card   ●    Banyan Tree Agency 

In case you have any such episode ( experiential Learning / Humor ) and would want to share- please connect with me through comment or connect at facebook  : Sanjeev kotnala or tweet at – s_kotnala