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| Tuhin A. Sinha; (inset) cover page of 22 Yards. Telegraph pictures |
Jamshedpur, Sept. 10: Cricket sells in India. Or so believes Tuhin A. Sinha, the author of 22 Yards, which is releasing in New Delhi this Friday.
The added attraction for the steel city readers would be that the book traces a “Jamshedpur connection of a Twenty20 World Cup captain” — who is also the main protagonist and narrator of the book.
Mayank Pradhan, the protagonist of 22 Yards, is shown to be a resident of the steel city and a pass-out from the same school as the author. So, Jamshedpur features in the book in the flashbacks. “The story has small references from Jamshedpur and Loyola School which is my alma mater. I believe that whatever I am today is because of my creative cricketing that I learnt at the Loyola,” Sinha told The Telegraph from Mumbai.
This is the second book written by a Loyola School alumnus after the That Thing Called Love. Unlike the first book that was released in 2006, 22 Yards is a thriller revolving around cricket and a first person narrative of an Indian captain. The book is about the darker side of cricket where each character raises an issue. Though everybody can read it, the author says the book is meant for crazy cricket fans in India, who should also know that the glamourous game has another not-so-positive side.
But why cricket?
“Cricket is the heart and soul of this country. I am an ardent fan of cricket and that provoked me to write the book. Also, the success of the first novel has been a source of inspiration for me,” he said.
22 Yards exposes the corruption, match fixing, doping and other corrupt practices associated with the biggest sport of the country. Sinha is a scriptwriter in Mumbai and has also worked with Balaji Telefilms for Kkoi Dil Mein Hai (Sony TV) and Waqt Bataayega (currently on air in the same channel) and Jheel Villa due in October on Star TV.
A commerce graduate from Hindu College, New Delhi, and a diploma holder from National Institute of Advertising, Sinha quit script writing for his love of writing.
