Trying times for Parthiv Patel

Whenever Parthiv turns to his phone after finishing his game in the ongoing Indian Premier League or after a practice session, he does that with lots of panic in his  heart.

Ahmedabad : "Don't judge a book by it's cover," is an old proverb. People who seems to be smiling doesn't necessarily means he/she is happy. This is quite applicable to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicket-keeping batsman Parthiv Patel.

Whenever Parthiv turns to his phone after finishing his game in the ongoing Indian Premier League or after a practice session, he does that with lots of panic in his heart. As , Ajay, his father is fighting for his life in an Ahmedabad hospital after a brain haemorrhage. “I just hope and pray that there is no bad news from the doctors,” said Parthiv .

Prior to the IPL , Parthiv conveyed his father's medical condition on Twitter. “Pls keep my father in ur prayers. He is suffering from brain haemorrhage,” he stated. It’s been more than two months but his father Ajay’s condition hasn’t got better. He is still in ICU and keeps slipping in and out of coma.

This uncertainty has made the IPL season more tiring for the Indian wicket-keeper. The frequent trips to Ahmedabad have seen him logging several extra miles. His franchise allows him to travel home after every game. There have been instances when Patel has played a game, boarded a flight for home and rejoined the team the following day.

“When I am playing, my entire focus lies in the game, but once the match is over, my heart is at home. The day begins with asking about my father’s progress, keeping in touch with doctors, sometimes I have to take some important decisions. My wife and mother are at home but when it comes to taking any decision, my approval is sought. The initial phase was critical – should we switch off the ventilator for a few days, or how much oxygen should be given. Such decisions are very tough to take," said Parthiv.

“I remember the day he suddenly fell down. The next 12 days, I was there in ICU, I didn’t go home for once. The Mushtaq Ali tournament was in progress and I missed a lot of matches of that,” Patel added.

He thought of skipping matches but his family said his father always wanted him to play and not to sit at home, and so he decided to take part in the IPL. Patel has been impressive for RCB this season, scoring 172 runs in six matches with a strike rate of 123.

To prevent Parthiv from any distraction his family conveys Ajay's condition to him only after the match is over.

In these trying times of his, Patel takes required tips from his former India teammate and Bangalore’s bowling coach Ashish Nehra. Who helps him unburden himself.