When Arun Agarwal was a teenager in India, he would stand outside the cricket stadium and wait for famous player Sachin Tendulkar’s bus to drive by.
Now, he has a cricket jersey signed by “the God of cricket” himself, whom Agarwal describes as Tom Brady, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan combined. Known as one of the greatest batsmen in cricket, Tendulkar played several decades for India starting in the 1980s.
Agarwal said as a child he could never imagine having a signed jersey from the cricket legend. Does he plan on wearing it? Never.
“That's something precious I'm going to keep with me, and hopefully my daughter will inherit it from me.”
Agarwal, chairman of the National Cricket League USA, which is headquartered in Dallas, said for many people from cricket-obsessed countries like India, “cricket is not a game, it’s a religion.”
His passion for the sport is evident in his Preston Hollow home, where he’s built out a vast collection of cricket memorabilia including a bat from India’s first World Cup championship, a vintage helmet and other signed jerseys.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Where did you get your signed jersey?
On my birthday I got a jersey signed by him saying, “Happy Birthday Arun.” I later found out my daughter cooked it up. She messaged [him] and said, “‘Hey, can you do something special for my dad? He will really appreciate it.”’ She knew how much I follow him and he's like a leader in the sport, which I admire and am passionate about.
What is the significance of your jersey?
A jersey is something which is more than just a T-shirt or a uniform. It's a sign of solidarity and teamwork and that's what I think when a team wears that with a logo. I think it gives them a sense of purpose together.
Where is your signed jersey in your home and why did you place it there?
Right now I'm putting it where all my precious documents are [in the closet]. I think where my will is, some of the most important documents, that's where I'm saving it until the time I can get it framed, which will happen soon during the holidays now. I think I'm going to put it somewhere in the living room in the common area.
How does having your signed jersey make you feel?
It makes me feel special that I have [something from] someone who billions of people follow. I have something personal from him with my name.
How does your signed jersey represent home for you?
This reminds me of a stadium full of 80,000 or 100,000 people, which is a normal stadium when a cricket game is happening in India, and his name is being chanted across. There's a really specific chant people used to chant his name, “Sach-in, Sach-in.” It just brings back those memories that were the games which, you know, I felt lucky even to get into the stadium, and [now] I have something personal from him.
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