(Top) Usha Uthup, Gautam Bhimani and Sourav Ganguly at the release of Bhimani’s Reverse Sweep — Confessions of a Cricket Junkie; Sourav launches the book with a reverse sweep. Pictures by Aranya Sen

There were many more pats on the back for the commentator-cum-author at the launch of Reverse Sweep ? Confessions of a Cricket Junkie in the member’s stand of Royal Calcutta Turf Club. And all from an elite guest list drawn up by parents Kishore and Rita Bhimani and wife Rashi, that started with Mr and Mrs Sourav Ganguly.

But before the big names could take the makeshift stage, nature played a reverse sweep, drenching the venue and delaying the launch.

Son Gautam turned around the thunderstorm into a taste of Sourav’s thunder. “While everyone told me, ‘Oh brishti porchhe, Dada aar Behala theke ashte parbe na’, I knew if he had committed, he would surely come.”

He did make it in time, in an orange-and-white striped full-sleeve shirt and brown trousers, wife Dona by his side. The former first couple of Indian cricket was soon joined by the likes of Usha Uthup, Madhu Neotia and Nilanjana Chakraborty. As cocktails and dry chilli chicken was passed around, everyone from Tollywood actresses Chaiti Ghoshal and Koneenica Banerjee to Shamlu Dudeja and Oindrilla Dutt dropped in.

A power-packed audio-visual kick-started the evening punctuated with funny snatches from Gautam’s innings as a reporter/commentator.

The chief guest wasn’t expecting it but he had to play the reverse sweep (off a delivery from fellow Bengal cricketer Jaideep Mukherjee) to release the book. Rahul Dravid’s “God on the off side” needed a couple of swipes with an ulta bat before smashing the box and releasing the book.

“I went through some of the pages a couple of days ago and I think it will take you through things on tours other than cricket that can be really exciting,” said Sourav. “But I just want to tell Gautam’s wife to take care of him ? he hasn’t put on any weight since he was in school (St Xavier’s) with me,” he added with a smile.

After Dada’s brief innings, the pitch was set for Didi. Usha Uthup hogged the limelight, hugged Gautam and Sourav, and before breaking into her trademark tune of Kolkata Kolkata, she did manage her own reverse sweep at the author: “It’s quite amazing that Gautam has been able to do so much with that nose of his!”

Even though the book has already been launched in Delhi ? with Dravid stating, “Now, I know what I will do once I give up cricket” ? Gautam was more kicked about the Calcutta launch. “I may stay in Delhi and may have all the stadiums across the world as my temporary address, but my home will always be Calcutta.”

“ESPN’s fooniest man” (Geoffrey Boycott) will open the innings at the Mumbai launch of the book in the first week of May. Sachin Tendulkar has confirmed his presence but he can’t do the reverse sweep ? not because of his shoulder, but because he will be releasing another high-profile book a few days later.