I really appreciate the passion people have for cricket in India: Michael Bevan

Rarely do cricketers from India and Australia come to Chennai to not clash at the cricket stadium in Chepauk. Recently, though, Australian cricket legend Michael Bevan and Indian cricketers Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, and Parthiv Patel were in the city for an event. Speaking to us, Michael Bevan expressed his excitement about coming to India, what he thinks about being in the city, its food, and more. Excerpts:

‘NOTHING COMPARES TO THE FOOD IN CHENNAI’Whenever I come to India as a cricketer from Australia, it’s always memorable. I really appreciate the passion people have for cricket. I’ve visited Chennai many times, mostly for cricket matches and training sessions, and I always enjoy being here. We have Indian food in Australia, and it’s good, but nothing compares to the food in Chennai. My favourite food here is chicken malai tikka.

‘DIFFICULT DURING A MATCH TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO GET SACHIN OUT’Virat Kohli is a wonderful player, and I admire Ravichandran Ashwin, the man of cricket who is always a valuable contributor. In terms of past cricketers, there were some incredible superstars, with MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar clearly standing out. It was always difficult to think about how to get Sachin out during a match. I have a lot of nice and tremendous memories.

Should cricket be in the Olympics?Cricket isn’t a global sport. It is only played by a limited number of countries. That said, it would be fantastic if it was included in the Olympics in the future.