Like every other Mumbaikar, growing up in a city obsessed with cricket, Swapnil Patil had only one passion and that was to play cricket. Patil dreamt big ever since he held a bat in his hand but he knew he had to be patient and take small steps towards success. Runs in inter-school cricket and club cricket became a regular feature during his budding days and soon he was a part of the probables in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team. After three years of being in the probables list without a game under his belt, Patil’s patience finally gave in and he decided to make a move to UAE courtesy a phone call from Shiva Pagarani, the owner of Yogi Group - a construction company in Dubai. The move meant he had to leave his family back and pursue his childhood dream away from homeland, in a country that welcomed him with open arms and kept his dream alive. Cut to 2015, UAE’s wicket-keeper batsman, Swapnil Patil, is living a dream that he claims to have never pictured ‘in the wildest of his dreams’. From the narrow lanes of Vasai – a far-fetched suburb in Mumbai – to the World Cup, this has been one fairytale that Patil and his UAE club owner Pagarani relive with a lot of pride. Excerpts from the duo’s exclusive chat with BCCI.TV How would you describe your cricketing journey? Swapnil Patil: (Smiles) In one word – brilliant. I never thought that someday I would play international cricket, leave alone a World Cup. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that this day would come in my life. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I want to leave a mark at this big stage. When I started playing cricket as a kid, I only thought of representing Mumbai and India some day. However, things didn’t go the way I would have loved to in India but I am glad I am here representing UAE in the World Cup. This is an opportunity that I have got after working hard and I value this moment. Shiva Pagarani: I still remember the day when he got selected in the national team. There were celebrations in the company and it was a proud feeling for all of us. To represent the club first, score runs and then to get selected in the national team and play a World Cup was a huge moment for us. The employees and others began clicking pictures with him and congratulated him on the success. Swapnil deserves every moment of it. When did you think you needed to find a different place to pursue your dream? Patil: I played a lot of inter-school cricket and even played in the Kanga League for a club called Patil Brothers in Vasai. I then began playing cricket for the U-14 & U-19 Mumbai team and got selected in the list of probables for the Ranji team. But it was an outstanding Mumbai team eleven years back with some big names and it was getting tough to get games. Three years with the team without a game tested my patience. That is when I thought that it was time to move out and play cricket. At that time Shiva Pagarani called my father and spoke to him about the prospect of playing in Dubai. Pagarani: It actually happened by chance. I was in Mumbai in 2006 for my company’s recruitments and Swapnil had dropped in his cricket CV just to give it a shot. Our company’s cricket club was forming a team and at that time I found his CV very interesting. The CV gave me an idea as to how much this guy loved his cricket and had the willingness to give it all. For me that was the moment I thought, he must be nurtured and brought over here to play for our club. I called his father and told him about the prospect and Patil flew to UAE then. I wanted him in the side and I believed he had all the potentials of an outstanding cricketer. Is not representing Mumbai/India something that you regret? Patil: I was disappointed that I didn’t get a chance back home but not anymore. I do love Mumbai and it is close to my heart but playing for UAE is what features at the top of the list for me at the moment. I am proud of the fact that I am playing for a country that has allowed me to showcase my talent. Being an Indian there is obviously a bundle of emotions but I am representing UAE and I would want to give my best for the country I am playing for. More than anything this will be a huge learning curve for me to notice outstanding cricketers from close quarters. This will help me nurture my game and become a better cricketer. Being a part of the Mumbai Ranji side, did you ever get a chance to meet Sachin Tendulkar or talk to him? I haven’t spoken to him ever but we did practice together once during the preparations for the Ranji Trophy tournament. I still remember the day he walked out at the nets and practiced beside me. It was just another regular practice session but for me it was a huge moment. It gave me an opportunity to notice and learn from a genius at work. To practice alongside him is a moment I will cherish forever. Do you keep in touch with your old mates back in Mumbai? Patil: I am very good friends with Ajinkya Rahane and we have played a lot of club cricket together for Mulund Gymkhana. I haven’t been in regular touch with him but remember bumping into him once at the airport when he was coming back after a South Africa tour. At that time I spoke to him and it felt great to meet an old friend. Now when I see him playing so well for India, I feel proud of his achievements. I am excited to meet him and the team and play against them. I still follow Ranji games on TV whenever I get time off from work and my cricket. Talk about your initial days in UAE and playing club cricket here. Patil: I came to Dubai for the pure passion of pursuing my love for the game. I got a job along with it and represented the Yogi group playing club cricket. It was tough initially but then I started getting more game time and scored a lot of runs. I came to Dubai in 2006 and played club cricket for four years and finally got qualified to play for UAE. I made my first-class debut in 2010 against Bermuda and my ODI debut in 2014. I made an unbeaten 99 in that game against Scotland and ran out of partners at the other end. I missed out on a 100 and scoring one on debut would have been a big moment. Hope I get one in this World Cup. Pagarani: Swapnil has all the shots in the book and his commitment to the game is second to none. I remember a few years back, he was playing a game for us when he was carrying high fever. He didn’t tell anyone that he was ill but he just went to bat and scored at will. That is when I got to know about his commitment towards the game and how much he loves playing cricket. It is because of his hard work that he has reached this stage and credit to him for what he is at the moment. How challenging was it to play away from home and adjust to a place where cricket was being played on cement tracks? Patil: I went to UAE with a lot of runs under my belt having played cricket continuously in Mumbai. But when I first played a game there I was asked to bat on a cement track. I was clueless since I was not used to playing on such tracks back in Mumbai. I still remember it was a spinner who came to bowl to me at first, gave good flight to the ball and invited me to play the big shot. I fell for it and tried to heave it out but the ball bounced more than expected and I nicked the ball and got out. I went back to Shiva sir and asked him how to bat on such tracks. He taught me how to play on such tracks and helped me improve my game to a great extent. Also, there are a lot of Pakistan players who play in UAE and they are used to playing on cement tracks. I observed them and spoke to them and slowly began to learn playing under those conditions. Pagarani: I feel he reads the game well. I didn’t give him any special advice or tips like he says. All I told him was to get a hang of the conditions and then play the ball. Cricket was played on cement and not on turf and you cannot wait for the ball and expect to get runs. You had to get your eye in and react accordingly and trust your instincts. Swapnil learnt it very early and has gone on to score heavily for us and now for UAE. You are a wicket-keeper batsman and you also wear jersey No.7. Is it coincidence or intentional? Patil: (Laughs) Actually my lucky number is 10 but unfortunately I didn’t get that number and I was allotted No.7. Having said that I consider MS Dhoni my idol. This is the first time I would be watching him from close quarters. I would love to meet him and speak to him about wicket-keeping and learn a few things. He is brilliant in whatever he does. From the qualifying stages to actually playing in the big stage, what have you learnt about your batting? Patil: The build-up to the World Cup and the exposure that I am getting here is helping me develop my all-round game. Initially I used to play a lot of cross batted shots but after coming here I have learnt to play a lot straighter. I understand I need to play a lot more in the ‘V’ and nudge a few singles and doubles to get runs. We have played quite a bit here and a few warm-up games where we played South Australia. I got good exposure at that time and even played against Australia at the MCG. I played deliveries that were being hurled at me at speeds of 140 plus and I have become a lot more confident about my game. I believe being a wicket-keeper helps since you have a better idea of the wicket and its behaviour. Any special plans for India? Patil: I am just going to play my natural game. We know they are World Champions but we will not worry about the result. I feel we can give a good fight to Team India. If we win, that will be a bonus for the whole team.