From Puttaparthi...India XI, World XI With Baba...

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saiprashanthi gurukulam <saiprashanthi.gurukulam wrote: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:24:47 +0530"saiprashanthi gurukulam" <saiprashanthi.gurukulamFROM PUTTAPARTHI...INDIA XI, WORLD XI WITH BABA... CRICKET FEAST… Gavaskar was the captain of the Indian team and Kallicharan was the captain of the West Indies team & it was the rest day of the test match between India and West Indies at Madras in 1978. Baba was in Madras and he was granting Darshan at Abbotsbury in the city. Sunil went there with G.R.Vishwanath and Kallicharan. Sunil : "My first Darshan itself was quite amazing. As Swami came out, it looked as though he was gliding on a gentle flowing river. There was a glow around Him and the moment I set my eyes on Him, I felt completely at ease with myself; I forgot all about cricket and felt completely peaceful." After Darshan, Bhagawan called the three of them for a brief interview and blessed them. As they were going back to the hotel, Kallicharan told Sunil in a lighter vein, "We are going to win this

match with Baba's blessings!"Sunil replied, "We are two, Vishwanath and me, and you are only one. We have double blessings and we are going to win!" And India did win that match!!! Later when Sunil visited Prashanthi Nilayam for the first time in 1982, Bhagawan blessed him with an interview & afterwards, Baba took him to the boy's hostel & told him, "Today is Bakrid. Speak to the boys on the importance of the festival!" Sunil was flabbergasted & he pleaded with Baba, "Swami, I don't know anything about Bakrid. How will I speak?" Bhagawan replied, "You just go and stand in front of the microphone. Everything will be fine!" Sunil obeyed the command. He spoke for ten to twelve minutes

about Islam and Bakrid. When he finished, there was a thunderous applause. As he went back to his chair, Baba looked at him and said. "Didn't I tell you that you could speak?" Sunil just folded his palms in reverence. It all started on a day when Sunil Gavaskar and Alvin Kallicharan were speaking to Bhagavan. And that was how the idea for the Sri Sathya Sai Unity Cup, a one-day international cricket match between India XI and the World XI, was born. Swami said, "The unity cup match will be played in the Hill view Stadium, here, in Puttaparthi!" Larsen and Toubro, that had built the Super Specialty hospital and executed the Drinking Water project, was asked to get the stadium and the pavilion ready, in good time, for the match. E.A.S Prasanna, a great spin bowler of the past, became deeply involved with the preparation of the pitch, the outfield, and supervising all aspects of infrastructure development, including

the pavilion and the scoreboard. Swami also decided that there would be no gate fee for the match, something totally unheard of where such a sporting event was concerned. Not just that. On the day of the match, free breakfast and lunch was given to the entire crowd!!! To the delight of the crowd, India won the Sri Sathya Sai Unity Cup! Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian captain, was then asked to come forward and receive the cup. (See the photos) "Your talent is a gift from God, what you do with that talent would be your offering to God and gift to humanity", said CLIVE LLOYD on that occasion. Five thousand years ago Krishna declared: "Any good act if lovingly offered to me becomes sacred." That was the purpose behind the cricket match! http://www.saibaba.ws/articles/whentheyplayed.htm http://www.saibaba.ws/articles1/sportsforcharacter.htm http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/ammachi/250549-swamis-cricket-leelas-thru-sunil-gavaskar.html