MUMBAI: You pause for a moment when he greets you with a warm “hello” at the Cricket Club of India. Like the historic Brabourne Stadium in the premises of this prestigious club, Paul Valthaty will always remain etched in the minds of those who’s seen his blazing 63-ball 120 not out for Punjab Kings against MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in the 2011 IPL at Mohali . It was a match-winning knock which catapulted him into stardom.
“Obviously, the 120 not out was the most celebrated moment of my career. I look at it this way that after all the troubles I went through with my eye injury, which happened when I was playing for the India in a 2002 Under-19 World Cup game against Bangladesh — a ball went through the gap of my helmet — it was a reward that God gave me for hanging on to my dreams and believing in myself despite all the vision problems I had after the injury, which I still have and will stay with me forever. I had to undergo and forego a lot to compete at a level which I wanted to and I’m extremely happy and a proud man that I could do it in the biggest tournament in the world — the IPL,” Valthaty tells TOI.
