I've been binging on interviews of Indian cricketers on youtube recently, past and present. The generation gap between the past and current crop is both striking and fascinating.
We all acknowledge that the current crop of Indian cricketers loves to express themselves, are fearless and irreverent, love to flaunt their desi routes. But beyond than what struck me was their choice of life partners and how they talk about them.
In the past, successful cricketers like Tendulkar and Dravid chose wives who were smart and independent in their own right but they were more inclined towards holding fort at home while the men travelled around the world to play for the country.
Top Indian cricketers these days don't expect their wives to give up on their goals. Dhawan's wife didn't change her base from Australia. Raina's wife didn't change base from Netherland. Kohli's wife still has a thriving movie career.
The way these cricketers openly acknowledge the roles of their wives who are all strong, independent, successful women in their own right makes them appear more self assured about their place under the sun. It also makes them role models in more ways than one.
There is of course the odd case of Shami bhai and Hasin bhabhi. You can't help with a few bad eggs. Sigh!
