I grew up playing on unprepared surfaces where your wicket depended on quickly adapting to the bounce. As a kid, I could never differentiate off-spin from leg-spin. All I looked to do was to try to hit the ball before it pitched.

My mood depends on how I treat my toothbrushes. Being a skipper is a strenuous job, and when you are going through a rough phase, obviously you start taking out your frustration. You can't take it out on anyone: you can't take it out on your teammates or your wife. The only person that is left is your toothbrush.

Sometimes in a team game, the entire spotlight is on one man.

Cricket is a team game. If you want fame for yourself, go play an individual game.

Sportsmen do not need Bollywood or film industry; they do not need publicity: it could be the other way round.