Oncology is my profession, cricket commentary is my passion: Nilesh Mehta
There have been a few practising doctors like Narottam Puri, Milind Tipnis etc. who have also made their names in cricket commentary. One such India-born doctor, Nilesh Mehta, now practising as an oncologist in Chicago, USA, has been doing commentary in the recent India-West Indies matches on radio.
"It is important to keep balance in life. You can have your profession and pursue your passion. You have to give your 100 % in whatever you do. I see my patients in the clinic and give my attention to them but when I am not at work I feel something else to do", Dr. Mehta, speaking exclusively over the phone from Trinidad said.
"As we know cancer is a very serious disease and we have to give sometimes good news or bad news to the patients and their relatives".
The same theory has to be described to the listeners. "Passion can be tough. You try your best on every single day. I have been doing radio commentary for the ongoing ODIs' and will sit in the commentary box for the T-20Is".
His commentary is relayed through Cricket360, which is on Facebook and it is run in Trinidad by Vinod Manchand.
Dr. Mehta grew up in Baroda and his father Dushyant Mehta was a Managing Committee member in Baroda Cricket Association.
"He used to take me to the Motibaug Ground to watch the Ranji Trophy matches and there I came to this game".
"My father used to know Vijay Hazare, Dattaji Gaekwad, who is the father of Anshuman Gaekwad".
"As time went on I passed the umpiring examination. I also became a scorer, that's when my journey began in cricket. In my early life, I came to know that I will not be able to become a cricketer but I wanted to remain with this game and thus I adopted this hobby in commentary", he added.
Dr. Mehta was a commentary fan of Anant Setalwad, Suresh Saraiya, Tony Cozier, Tony Greig and Richie Benaud. He considers Dickey Rutnagar as his guru. He has also met the late Chrisopher Martin Jenkins (CMJ).
Dr. Mehta loves playing carrom with his wife Smita and two children, who too are in the medical profession.
