Podcast: Mohammad Kaif Recalls His Natwest Trophy Final Innings

Mohammad Kaif talks about his match-winning innings in the final of the 2002 Natwest Trophy final.

(Photo: Reuters)

Mohammad Kaif announced his retirement from first-class cricket in July 2018. On 13 July 2018 to be precise, the same date on which, 16 years back, he played a match which would become synonymous with his name.

The Natwest Trophy final against England at Lord’s had India chasing England’s 325 at the Lord’s. Sourav Ganguly was captain, Rahul Dravid had become a wicket-keeper and it was the time of Sachin Tendulkar. Only, Sachin lost his bails to Ashley Giles on 14 and India were reduced to 146/5. What happened next? Listen to the podcast by clicking on the player below, to find out:

In walked a 21-year-old Mohammad Kaif, joining Yuvraj Singh at the crease Back home in Uttar Pradesh, Kaif’s own family switched off the television and went out to watch a movie. They missed what was to become the cornerstone of Mohammad Kaif’s career. A match and an innings that even now continues to define him. So much so that 16 years later, on the same date –13 July – Kaif chose to announced his decision to retire from all forms of cricket.

The Quint caught up with the 37-year-old and got him to take us back to ‘that’ Natwest final, back to his 11-year-old self who had to leave home to pursue his cricket dreams, back to his first Test century and back to his pep-talk in the Uttar Pradesh team’s dressing room in the season he captained them to their maiden Ranji Trophy title.