A doctor by education and cricketer-administrator by profession, 47-year-old Maturi Venkat Sridhar, credits his college life for his achievements. He attributes his disciplined lifestyle, dedication and keenness to succeed in all fields to his student days.
Sridhar was a First Class cricketer, who represented Hyderabad between 1988-89 and 1999-2000, and made 6,701 runs at 48.91 with 21 tons and made a highest score of 366. He is best remembered for deftly handling the fallout of the infamous Bhajji-Symonds racial row when he was the Indian cricket team’s media manager. Sridhar has been working with Tech Mahindra in the city for 15 years.
Hailing from a family of academicians, he says cricket was never a serious affair. In fact, he was good at almost every sport he played and was also noticed for cultural and social activities in college. He points out that present-day children including his are not interested in field games and that he would let his children choose their fields without imposing his ideas on them.
What did college teach you?
I went to Osmania Medical College and the course itself requires a lot of dedication and sustenance. I wanted to make a mark. I think it was from there that I developed this keenness to make a mark and be successful in life.
What was your proudest moment in college?
I used to be this ‘Student of the Year’ sorts. I was part of badminton, table tennis, tennis, cricket and football teams and also part of the cultural brigade. Osmania used to be the champion then. I cannot recollect a single moment but being recognised as an all-rounder was something that always made me proud.
Have you had any embarrassing moments in college?
There was nothing embarrassing as such. I was pretty popular. But, yeah, when we were doing internships in the fifth year, in gynaecology, nine out of the 10 babies I assisted during delivery turned out to be boys and I was called the person with a lucky hand. They used to make fun of me saying if someone wants a baby boy, then I should do the delivery. Also, I used to get caught sleeping in the last row during post-lunch classes. Even today, I struggle post-lunch.
How did you score points with the opposite gender?
I was pretty popular among all. I used to maintain healthy relationships with girls. I had a steady girlfriend too. So, it was not very important to score points with the opposite gender.
Was bunking a part of your college routine?
I was a decent student and I never dropped a single paper. I used to be fairly regular and friends used to ensure I attended classes.
Did you have any rifts with your professors?
Fortunately no. I always maintained good equations with all professors, who encouraged me to participate in extracurricular activities. Some professors and staff members used to play along with us.
Where did you hang out in college with friends?
Our campus is so huge and ours is a huge gang. We used to either spend time at the various joints on campus or watch films at Maheswari or Sangeet. Since, most of us had bikes back then, riding up to Ananthagiri Hills and Nagarjuna Sagar was a usual fare.
What extracurricular activities were you involved in?
Throughout my college life, I was busy with sports and cultural activities. I was equally part of other welfare activities. We used to regularly hold health camps for poor people.
— rahul.v@newindianexpress.com