Shane Warne tribute | 'Let's go to Goa', Swapnil Asnodkar recollects a dream trip with Aussie legend at RR

Shane Warne with Swapnil Asnodkar (Pic: FB page)

Bengaluru, March 4: Swapnil Asnodkar was extending a mere courtesy when he invited Shane Warne to his home in Goa in the summer of 2008. But Warne accepted the invitation with both the hands.

It was not surprising at all. As much as cricket, Warne also loved his after-match life — fun, party, dance, music. “Let’s dash to Goa,” he told his teammates ahead of a five-day break during the IPL 2008, the inaugural edition of the tournament.

“I could not believe that Warne accepted the invitation and came to Goa and dropped into my house. It was fun all the way. There was the legend in my house, and he was quite a natural and engaged people with sincerity.

“He was so happy to meet people and remained a compassionate man throughout. Along with Warne, other players like Graeme Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Shane Watson etc too came on that short trip.

“I still can’t forget those moments and can’t believe he is no longer among us,” said a cracking Asnodkar, a dashing batsman who played a pivotal role in Rajasthan Royals’ title win in 2008 — their only triumph till date.

Asnodkar vividly remembers his first meeting with Warne. “I met him for the first time during the pre-season nets at the Royals. He instantly took a note of me because I was from Goa, and we all know Warne liked his time away from cricket.

“But on the field he did not show any of those playfulness, he was strict and took no excuse for not giving 100 per cent every time,” he said.

The title run of Rajasthan Royals still stirs emotions inside Asnodkar. “We were written off completely even before the IPL 2008 had started. But Warne was quite clear in his vision. 'Listen! Don’t think too much about outside views. Keep the belief in your abilities and we can go a long way in the tournament.”

Indeed they went all the way. “As a captain, Warne kept motivating us on the field, and bowled from the front. There was an aura around him, and he was so confident.

“But once came back to the dressing room or our rooms in the hotel, Warne kept us relaxed. He did not reminded us of the competition or the toughness of it. He always had that comforting arm around younger players.

“But shared a lot of jokes and encouraged players to keep their mind relaxed. His leadership had a big role in RR winning the title that year. There was no dull moment with Warne around and he always kept the bond with Royals intact,” Asnodkar recounted.

“The best part about Warne was that he never let his stature come in the way of interacting and establishing a connection with players.

“It did not matter to him that so many of us were junior to him and has not played the international cricket or for that matter a good amount of domestic cricket too. He always kept an arm around us, was always ready to help and was very approachable.

“But in our mind, we all knew whom we were interacting with and it made all the more exciting. After all, you will not get to speak to someone like Warne, and here we had a full season with him,” said Taruwar Kohli, another RR player from that season.