Sitting pretty among a cluster of houses at Anna Nagar East, Krishna Leela is a typical Gujarati home resplendent with decorated jhoolas, and the smell of agarbattis making the environment serene and soothing. As you get comfortable on the sofa, large wooden framed photos (and the like) on the four walls of the drawing room cry for attention. A closer look will give you an indication of the passion this Gujarati family has for cricket. From bats autographed by Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Steve Waugh and Andrew Symonds to ‘The Perfect 10’, a souvenir displaying pictures of 10 wickets taken by Anil Kumble in a Test innings against Pakistan in 1999, Krishna Leela adorns them proudly on its four walls. The person behind this collection, Mitesh Mehta (44), a member of the joint family, also proudly displays pictures of him taking an autograph from the ‘god’ of cricket. “Visitors to my house are sometimes shocked to see my collections. Some even suggested changing the name of my house from Krishna Leela to Cricket Leela,” laughs Mitesh, who works as a branch manager in a manufacturing company and is a father of two. “I get full support from my family members. My mother is a bit worried though, as she feels that I might use the ceiling now to display my collections, as the walls have no space left,” he quips. The first floor reveals more of his collection in the two-bedroom apartment. It opens to a cricket museum of sorts, where small souvenirs like the 2003 World Cup mascot, Dazzler, the zebra, a miniature statue of Anil Kumble in his bowling stance, and plates with pictures of Sachin and Kumble, among many others, find their place in a glass covered cabinet. “All these memorabilia are replete with their authenticity certificate. I’ve been collecting them for 25 years,” says Mitesh, who also collects cricketing stamps and first day covers. The most unique item from the collection is perhaps a piece of ‘turf’ of the Lord’s cricket ground, London. However, Mitesh’s most prized collection is a 2ft tall scotch whisky bottle, in the shape of a cricket bat, a souvenir for the ICC World Cup 2003.His oldest and most expensive memorabilia is an autographed bat by Sir Don Bradman and a complimentary bat highlighting the batsman’s records. “I bought it for `20,000. But now, it costs in lakhs,” says Mitesh. “However, there is no thrill in buying memorabilia with money. The fun is in collecting them yourself.” Soon this hobby gave birth to creating household innovations synonymous of the game. These range from a wooden bookstand that has a cricket bat for support to a lamp that stands on three wickets! “These are made-to-order pieces. I’m crazy about cricket. Next, I plan to create and install a model of the Chepauk stadium under our dining table,” smiles Mitesh.
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