'I am ready to hit a six in politics'

MUMBAI: It was a different pitch he was batting on Saturday afternoon. "Has any politician come here to campaign before me?'' he asked a resident of Surya Nagar, a slum pocket in Vikhroli (W). Pat came the reply, "No sir, you are the opening batsman.'' Former cricketer Vinod Kambli blushed and continued his padayatra on the hilly path.
While many politicians are planning to go on campaign trails from Monday, Kambli decided to kickstart on Saturday."I chose the Vikhroli hills for my padayatra. I had to climb to the top and be a winner,'' said the first-timer in politics. Unlike the cricket maidan, the political battleground is proving to be a tough challenge. He is pitted against Shiv Sena strongman Datta Dalvi, NCP's Pallavi Patil-who is the local MP Sanjay Patil's wife, and MNS nominee Mangesh Sangle who has a huge voter base in the area.
Kambli admitted that his celeb-status would work to his advantage. He obliged children with autographs as he walked door-to-door with folded hands. He accepted aartis by women, who applied tilak on his head and senior citizens came out to bless the aspiring neta. The youth burst fire-crackers and played the drums as women with children in arms lined the narrow path to catch a glimpse of him. Surya Nagar and its neighbouring slums have 38,000 residents, said local RPI leader Rahul Dongre.
Kambli urged the first-time voters to come out in large numbers on October 13. The 37-year-old Kambli, who walked up to the last hutment on the hill top, said he still had the energy to climb another. With a never-say-die attitude which he displayed when he scored 349 in a 664-run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar during school, Kambli said he was prepared to take on new innings in politics. "Unlike cricket, the googlies and swingers in politics can come from any direction. I am ready to hit a six on the front foot,'' he added.