Right from the time I was a school-going kid, I’ve always loved to be the focus of attention . We are four brothers and sisters, and I am the youngest. All my siblings are performers ? one of my sisters is a first-rate dancer, another sister is a brilliant student while my brother owns a music company in Kochi. So growing up after them, there was always the expectation that I, too, would make my mark. This wasn’t something I would call a burden. It was something more positive ? actually, it was an inspiration.

Nd I didn’t disappoint. I was into all sorts of extracurricular activities in school ? playing drums, writing poetry, being up on stage. During school assemblies, I wanted to be called up for my achievements as often as possible. Even at that young age, I used to go to sleep late at night. I felt that if I slept for too long, I would be losing out on valuable time, which I could use to do something else.

Ecause I had to move from one city to another often in childhood, I spent my schooling years in four or five different institutions. Among them, my fondest memories are from Bangalore’s Florence Public School. Later I completed my Plus-two from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Kochi. I loved sports in school. In fact, I spent a lot of time playing tennis and badminton. But all that changed once I started focussing on cricket seriously. The biggest learning experience was going to the MRF Pace Foundation. Not only did I interact with legends like Dennis Lillee, I also learned to value discipline and hard work.

Ut all of this happened much later, when I had already become a city kid. My earliest childhood was spent in a quiet village in Kerala with my grandmother and sister. It was a place straight out of a photo album ? green and idyllic. Life there was far removed from the din and bustle of the city. The shops would close by 7.30 pm, and everyone would be in bed by 8 pm. I have moved on since then, but those were the days I am never going to forget.