Thread by @manishbatavia

Images from one of the happiest projects of my career - 12 Eps of #MatchParty on #CricbuzzPlus - that's 54 hrs of conversation with some of the most talented people and crazy cricket fans in India - @joybhattacharj @beastieboy07 @SaiyamiKher @Md_Irfan17 and @AbijitG (Contd 1/n)

This motley crew was put together by @Shirsh9 who dared to attempt something like this. Thank you, Shirsh for trusting me with this project. If only you had recorded our ear piece conversations! That'd make for some mad BTS audio content! ;) His team also includes...

a fellow pun-lover @kallol_ss who I have fond memories of working with in the past! He'd quietly send content inputs on Whatsapp while also working on #CricbuzzLive! The rest of the @cricbuzz team also brought their A-game to the party every time!

They say it's the guests that make the show look good... and it is a terrific cast that aced it on #MatchParty and made my job as an anchor so much easier! There's no one like @joybhattacharj in this business! He was my insurance policy on the show...

Joy gave me a career in this industry 16 years ago... and I was ecstatic when @Shirsh9 told me he'd be on the show! I also know Joy secretly likes my silly puns... he just won't admit coz varna yeh bachcha complacent ho jaayega! Also, he knows I can do much worse!😜

I knew of @beastieboy07's brilliant work as a cricket Journo, but on #MatchParty I discovered a rockstar with a million stories. His impersonations can put most mimicry artists to shame! He also holds the record for meeting most number of cricketers in a loo! You're a🌟, Bharat!

I knew @SaiyamiKher is a cricket fan... But #MatchParty told me why her Twitter bio has the word 'Sachin'! She's a true disciple of the 'Master' @sachin_rt! She added so much to the Party! Even at 3 am, she'll have a dozen bhaari bharkham technical cricket Qs ready! #Respect

@Md_Irfan17 is a mad singing talent and some of his observations about the game were superb! I was once forced to sing in his presence but he saved the day by showing us how it's done! Ek din aapka concert dekhne zaroor aaunga aur @beastieboy07 ki tarah enjoy bhi karunga! 😉

I didn't know what to expect from @AbijitG before we started out... but I thank him on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians for giving us #VenkateshIyer! He's the first non-player who's on his way to becoming an India selector! Oh and yes, did you know he played football today? 😂

I'm glad #MatchParty happened to me! Massive withdrawal symptoms coming up later this evening! Thank you, @cricbuzz, @Shirsh9 @kallol_ss and the rest of the team!