The autobiography of former captain Gundappa Viswanath, one of the finest batsmen in the history of Indian cricket and hailed as an artist for his incredible work of the wrist, was launched on Saturday.
The book, titled ‘Rist Assured’, co-authored by senior journalist R Kaushik, was launched on the first day of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka.
India greats Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavkar unveiled the book in a brief ceremony during the day/night game dinner.
Later, speaking to the media, the 73-year-old Vishwanath, who represented India in 91 Tests and scored 6080 runs, seemed overwhelmed by the opportunity.
He revealed that he initially rejected the idea of Kaushik writing the book, but was later convinced by his family.
“The way I have been treated is amazing. The way I have been treated between two great players of world cricket (Gavaskar and Kapil) is unbelievable.
Kapil said that the first autograph he took as a cricket fan was that of Vishwanath and he still cherishes him.
“This book should have been written 20 years ago. I wish I could be like him and behave like him. I have always looked up to him. He is a true messenger of the game,” said the 1983 World Cup winning captain.
“He is my all time hero. Something stuck in my mind about Vishwanath.”
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said that young players, who want to play for India, will get to know about the game by reading the book.
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