"An eye-opener", says Shastri and Rahane after their Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital visit

Speaking to bcci.tv, Shastri said, "When you bring a smile on their faces and make them forget their pain even for a little while, it brings a smile to your face too. You get the feeling of happiness and content that you cannot get from anywhere else."

Shastri, who was also a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and traveled to parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to campaign for the eradication of polio, said it brought back old memories.

"I have done this stuff for the last 15 years. I went to UP and Bihar 10 years on the trot for the pulse polio campaign with an aim to eradicate polio from the country. When you see the result your efforts have generated, you feel worthwhile," the team director said.

Rahane, one of Indian's mainstay in the batting order and a local resident told bcci.tv, "When you go there, you see those small kids who are going through such hardships in their lives and they are still smiling. It makes you realise that there is more to life than what we experience inside our little world. It was a very emotional experience for me, meeting and talking to these kids. They were so full of life. It was a joy to see their love for cricket and how happy they were to see us."

He said that the small trip provided him lessons about coping up with adversities in life.

Rahane said, "We get bogged down by little setbacks in our lives. Seeing these kids smile despite their plight taught me a lesson in life – no matter what the situation, it is in our hands to be happy. With a smile on your face, you can tackle any adversity and be happy in any situation."

The toddlers were in for a special surprise when the duo distributed books, crayons and other gifts to them.

Urging others to join the cause, Shastri said, "Our young players should be part of more and more such causes. It was great to see Ajinkya there. I called him up and asked him to join me and he immediately said yes. I was very overwhelmed by his response."

 

 

IMAGE:-bcci.tv