When Atal Bihari Vajpayee had 'message on a bat' for Indian cricket team before Pakistan tour

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on Thursday evening at the age of 93.  

Vajpayee, famous for his political acumen and brilliant oratory skills, was also an ardent sports lover. He was also a big advocate of peace with Pakistan during his prime ministership.

So when Sourav Ganguly and his Indian cricket team came to meet him before embarking on a historic tour of Pakistan in 2004, he had a message of peace for them. 

He gave a special cricket bat to Sourav Ganguly with a beautiful quote "Khel hi nahi, dil bhi jeetiye - shubhkamnaye" (Win not only the game, but hearts also - best wishes).

Team India played five one-day matches and three Tests on their first full-fledged tour of Pakistan in 15 years.

The Sourav Ganguly-led Indian side icluded players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan.

Vajpayee had started peace talks with Pakistan when he was prime minister. The cricket series was one of the initiatives taken for better relations with the neighbouring country. The Indian team were given special visa for the tour. 

Indian team won ODI series with 3-2 and Test series with 2-1 margin in the historic tour.

Shetty, the then team manager, remembers the meeting the team had with Vajpayee prior to their departure.

"The tour happened just because of Vajpayee ji. He wanted relations to improve and cricket was a mode of doing that. The BCCI decided to sent the team after the approval of his government," Shetty told PTI.

"Before we were to leave for Pakistan, we got a message from the PMO that the prime minister wants to meet the team. He spent an hour with the team and spoke to each and every member," he said.

"There was a navy band in the garden which was playing patriotic songs. We presented him an autographed bat and he too gave us a bat with which had a message: 'Khel hi nahi, dil bhi jeetiye, shubhkaamnaye (win hearts too besides matches, best wishes)," Shetty recalled.

He said that Vajpayee told Saurav it was an important tour and the team members should play their hearts out.

"When we were about to leave, he said that we should listen to one more song - 'Hum honge kaamyaab'," Shetty said.

He also said that after India won the ODI series, Vajpayee called Sourav to congratulate him.

"I had gone on a security visit to Pakistan prior to the tour. I saw people in Karachi holding Vajpayee's pictures and posters thanking him for revival of cricket between the two countries. I told him that," Shetty said.

The 93-year-old Vajpayee was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion. He was in critical condition for the last few days and continued to be on advanced life-support system.

(With PTI Inputs)