Uddalak Mukherjee

Milind Rege’s love for cricket equals his loyalty to his company

The date: March 1, 2003. India was playing arch rivals Pakistan in a crucial World Cup match in South Africa.

Milind Rege, head of corporate communications at Tata Steel, watched with interest as Sachin Tendulkar decimated the much-famed Pakistani bowling attack. A former Mumbai captain and selector, he chuckled delightedly every time the Indians sent the red cherry crashing into the boundary.

The match opened the floodgates of memories for Mr Rege. He remembered the days when he used to wage similar battles in cricketing arenas. He wished that he were padded up in cricketing gear so that he could win the game for India.

Like any other Mumbai boy, Mr Rege had a passionate interest in cricket during his childhood. He would play galli cricket near his central Mumbai house. He was soon selected to represent India schools.

His love for the game grew into a professional interest when he joined St Xavier’s College. The college was in its infancy as far as cricket was concerned. After an impressive showing with the St Xavier’s side, he was selected for the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad.

Mr Rege recalls one of the earliest matches he played for Mumbai. It was against a 'Rest Of India’ side boasting names like Chandu Borde, M. L. Jaishima and Tiger Pataudi. Although he played as a lower-order batsman, he enjoyed his stint. His most cherished memory of the match was a tight spell he bowled in tandem with Eknath Solkar against the famed opposition.

After getting his break with Mumbai, there was no looking back. A healthy batting average of 23.56 in 52 matches, captaining Mumbai for a couple of domestic seasons, and 126 first-class wickets speak volumes of his on-field exploits.

When asked to furnish some anecdotes, Mr Rege fishes out an old photograph of himself and Pataudi going out to open an innings in a game. "My wife has named this picture beauty and the beast," he says.

A mild heart attack at 25 robbed him of his dream of representing the national cricket team. He was forced to sideline himself for almost a year to recover from his illness.

During his illness, he promised his wife that he would be doing what he did the best — playing the game at the highest level. Within two years, he was scoring runs in the domestic cricket circuit. He was appointed the skipper of the all-conquering Mumbai Ranji team.

Today he looks back on the incident with a philosophical perspective. "Like cricket, in life you tend to lose some and win some. My loss was compensated by the opportunity of joining the Tata Group," he explains. His longest stint, apart from cricket, has been with the Tata Group. He joined Tata Steel as a regular employee in 1968.

When the Tatas asked him to join their ranks, he did not accept the offer immediately. He knew that balancing his sports career with work would be difficult. However, J. J. Bhaba, his former boss, worked out an arrangement with J. R. D. Tata.

"Mr Tata clearly said that if I would like to continue with my studies, I should be allowed to do so. I used to attend college in the mornings, reach office at 2 pm, and leave to play cricket after an hour. I was earning a handsome pay packet of Rs 750 per month and was one of the richest kids playing for Mumbai then," says Rege.

His innings with the Tata Group have been rewarding. "I have been lucky to interact with some truly remarkable men in the group, like Dr J. J. Irani and Jehangir Sabavala. I have learnt a lot from these men."

The philosophy of cricket not only influenced his professional and personal sphere, but also helped this former Mumbai skipper flesh out a deeper bond with the group. Teamwork — a key asset in cricket — helped him to be a part of the group.

Mr Rege cherishes the Group’s commitment to its employees. "When I was hospitalised with a heart attack, executive director S. S. Vaze came to meet me. After inquiring about my condition, he informed me that I had been promoted. Needless, to say, it was a big boost during those trying conditions," recalls Mr Rege.

Mr Rege expressed his gratitude by helping the group win the Times Shield in 1971. He cracked four consecutive centuries in the tournament, ensuring his team’s success.

Cricket gave Mr Rege the opportunity to interact with some of the luminaries of the game from a close quarter. His friendship with India’s batting legend Sunil Gavaskar goes back to his childhood. "We were neighbours as well as bench-mates in school," says Mr Rege.

A keen student, Mr Rege has identified the changes that the game has undergone. He feels that increasing corporate and media interest in the game has ensured that cricket is headed towards a secure future. "When I started playing cricket, we were paid Rs 25 for playing a Ranji trophy match. International players are now earning in lakhs," says Mr Rege.

Rege still finds time to indulge in his favourite pastime. Occasionally, one can find him wielding the willow in a friendly game or two at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai. "I can still bat a bit," he chuckles.

Golf and badminton are two other favourite pastimes. However, time constraints and a rigorous work schedule leave him very little time to indulge in such pleasures.

Mr Rege would also love to give back something to the game from which he earned so much of respect. So are we likely to see Milind Rege donning his gear again in the form of a coach? Mr Rege says that he would like to take up coaching but there are no definite plans yet. "It’s too sunny outside for my liking," he adds, with a glint of humour.

Today Mr Rege is a content man. He enjoys the challenging nature of his work as well as the half-centuries he scores while batting. It has been a long stint at the middle but he has no intentions of ‘retiring’ yet.

Uploaded on July 11, 2003