Note to readers: While we accept the reality of the coronavirus, it is important to be optimistic. We must believe that there will be a day when the disease will no longer be the scourge it is today. And when that day comes, we will be able to enjoy life, maybe with a few adjustments, the way we did before Covid-19. To that end, we've been running ‘If Covid Vanished ...’, a series of interviews with corporate heads and achievers, where we ask them where they’d like to travel or eat, who’d they like to meet, and so on, if the world became Corona-mukt. Follow the series here.
Punam Raut knows adversity. The Indian batswoman grew up in a Mumbai chawl. Her father Ganesh worked as a car driver.
Raut also knows a bit about integrity and perspective. In a Test against Australia last year, she ‘walked’ after getting a faint edge on the ball, even when the umpire said ‘not out’. It is true that part of the reason Raut walked
“I like to be clear about ‘fair and unfair’ and do things correctly. Plus, it’s just a sport, not war,” the diminutive 32-year-old said later in an interview.
The pandemic, therefore, is something Raut has tried to face with sangfroid. The ordeal has only made us stronger, the scorer of over 3,000 runs across formats believes.
Excluded from the Indian team for the forthcoming ICC Women’s World Cup 2022, Raut focuses on more pleasant subjects in this conversation – such as her plans for when Covid ‘walks’ out of our lives.
If Covid went away or became manageable, which destination would you like to travel to?
I would like to explore India, especially the North. We were recently at a boot camp in Dehradun, but couldn’t do much travelling. Himachal Pradesh is one destination I would like to visit.
Overseas, I’d like to go to New York.
Which famous stranger would you like to invite home and talk to, and why?
I don’t know about famous strangers, but I’d like to invite Mithali Raj and all my teammates. We miss home food when we are on the road. I would like to have them over for home-made Maharashtrian seafood.
What public performance would you like to attend?
Going for movies. Recently, I watched ’83 in a theatre. It was the first film I saw on the big screen in two years. But there still are restrictions. I enjoy watching films and I hope that someday soon we can freely go to the cinema.
What new skill would you like to learn?
I’ve been wanting to try tennis. I watch it on TV and have followed the careers of legends like Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. It’s a sport that looks easy on TV, but it is anything but that.
A song that comes to mind when you think of a Covid-free world.
This is not specifically for a Covid-free world, but when I’m in a good mood in general. ‘Tune kajal lagaya, din me raat ho gayi’. I like old Hindi songs.
What would your approach to money be for life post-Covid?
The stock market has looked interesting during certain phases of the last two years. I would like to learn more about it and then make some investments in it.
What new invention/gadget would you like to see that would help us deal with future health crises?
Maybe an invisible mask, so that we are protected but can see each other’s faces.
What would your motto be for life after the pandemic?
‘I will survive’. Facing the pandemic, I believe, has steeled us for any kind of challenge.
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