Q. What are your thoughts about the pandemic we are facing today?
A. First, we need to follow the guidelines led down by the government. Moreover, to keep our morale afloat, we need to boost our mental strength and engage with creative activities like music and other art forms. These activities keep our mental hygiene under check. It is vital to take care of our mental health amidst the lockdown.
Q. How do you think we will get through this situation?
A. One needs to be positive about the fact that this deadly virus will be gone soon, but till then we need to take necessary precautions; for example, we should avoid going outside unnecessarily, and understand that this is not the time we should be hanging out with friends. Social distancing is indispensable. Spreading positivity, being there for each other emotionally, and being responsible are some of the needs of the hour.
Q. Is your fitness routine affected?
A. I train at home using a few dumbbells and do other miscellaneous exercises. However, the household chores that I take part in nowadays help me stay active. I have a two-year-old son and a pet dog; I love to spend time with them. You see, you get a chance to spend a lot of time with your family nowadays, and it is a blessing. Moreover, I strongly believe performing chores at home is not bad either. However, I am eagerly waiting for grounds to open so that I can get back into my routine.
Q. How did your interest in shooting emerge?
A. I have a friend Joydeep Karmakar who is an Olympian and he runs a shooting academy. I went there once and fell in love with the sport. Since cricket is not an Olympic game, every sportsperson despite being from a different background has that ambition of winning a gold medal for India and that’s the same feeling which I have. I went to the academy, on and off, and interacted with the trainers and trainees over there. Joydeep requested me to try my hands at 10m Air Rifle and I did well. He advised me to stick to the game. Whenever my cricket career comes to an end, I would love to shoot. However, right now cricket keeps me really busy.
Q. Do you remember the last time you stayed indoors for this long?
A. No, I seriously don’t remember. But this is the time when we are realising how hard our mothers have been working for us. It is quite a difficult job to manage domestic affairs; we should give more respect and love to our mothers.