Who Do You Think You Are – Sunil Singh Kushwaha, Cricketer

Who Do You Think You Are - Sunil Singh Kushwaha, Cricketer

[Interview and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]

The Delhi Walla was climbing the stairs of an apartment complex in Hauz Khas Village when he approached a boy.

Who are you? What are you doing here?
I’m Sunil Singh Kushwaha. I’m collecting tiffins from these flats.

What tiffins?
We make food for people living in these flats. In evening, I home-deliver the tiffins. In morning, I come to collect the empty boxes.

That’s your job?
Yes. No. I’m actually a cook in Soni’s dhaba (eatery). I make rotis in the kitchen.

You! How old are you?
12 years.

How many rotis you make daily?
Around 800.

How much you get?
Rs 2,000. I send it all to my parents through money order.

Parents? Where is your home?
My village, Bakapur, is in Madhya Pradesh, district Morena. My father has two-beegha of land. Anita and Longshri are my sisters. Rahul and Raju are my brothers. I’m the oldest.

You are into books?
No. I cannot read.

Then what you do in your spare time?
I don’t get spare time. I wake up at 7.30 am and I stay busy till night.

Where do you sleep?
In the kitchen.

Your dream?
I want to be a cricketer. I’m a good batsman. Back home in the village, I played in the fields all the time. I would hit the ball very hard and they would fly far into the jungle. We lost 5 balls because of my shots.

Your wristwatch is very nice.
I got it for Rs 35 from the Sunday Bazaar in Safdarjang Enclave.

Do you miss home?
Yes. Especially my maa.

You cry?
Never… Bhayya, can you arrange a cheap mobile phone for me? Since the time I’ve arrived in Delhi, I haven’t talked to my parents. They don’t have a mobile phone. If I get one for, say, Rs 400, I will give it to them when I visit the village later this month. Then I can call them whenever I want.

Where’s my cricket ball?

Who Do You Think You Are - Sunil Singh Kushwaha, Cricketer

Just a job

Who Do You Think You Are - Sunil Singh Kushwaha, Cricketer

The bread earner

Who Do You Think You Are - Sunil Singh Kushwaha, Cricketer