Lalit Modi and Jatin Paranjape
Former India cricketer and selector Jatin Paranjape has offered a rare glimpse into the dramatic transformation of Indian cricket’s global image and the personal journeys behind it. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking on The Bombay Sport Exchange, Paranjape traced the journey from BCCI’s first apparel sponsorship to Lalit Modi’s audacious vision of making Team India a worldwide brand, while also reflecting on his father Vasu Paranjape’s coaching legacy and the complexities of growing up in a famous cricketing household.Lalit Modi and the “big brand” visionParanjape, who worked closely with Nike during its association with the BCCI, recalled the revolutionary moment when cricket apparel became more than just uniforms.“A lot of credit needs to go to Lalit Modi,” he said. “He was the guy who thought big and wanted a big brand from an apparel perspective. There was even a clause in the contract about having retail outlets internationally to stock BCCI merchandise. He really saw the Indian team as a global brand — and now we’re living that reality.”Nike, Paranjape explained, had to adapt to cricket’s unique needs. “They had to learn about cricket shirts and trousers, and how to fit those into the Nike ethos of lightweight, zero-distraction performance wear,” he said. Small but meaningful innovations followed, from trousers with buttons for easy changes to personalised touches for Sachin Tendulkar. “He had a Sai Baba pendant, so only his shirt had a V-cut so it wouldn’t show when batting,” Paranjape recalled.While the gear mattered, he stressed that the “real meat of the deal” was licensing and merchandising. Replica shirts and branded apparel helped India’s cricket team make the leap into becoming a marketable, global identity.Vasudeo Paranjape’s “school of belief”Switching from boardrooms to maidans, Jatin reflected on the influence of his father, Vasudeo Paranjape — a former cricketer, coach, and mentor to generations of Mumbai players.“My father was very big on having belief in his players. He trusted them,” he said. Unlike the strict, silent dressing rooms of the past, Vasu fostered an atmosphere of empathy and freedom. “Players had a voice. They played hard, they played fair, and they always went for the win,” Jatin remembered.He narrated anecdotes that revealed his father’s fearless style, including a famous declaration against a strong Mumbai University side led by Sandeep Patil. Despite being short on bowlers, Vasudeo’s bold call turned the match in Dadar Union’s favour. “He was willing to gamble, but always for the team’s brand of cricket,” Jatin said.Even in personal adversity, Vasu embodied resilience. “Once he got hit in the mouth, spat out two teeth, waved everyone away, and hit a six next ball,” Jatin recalled. “That was the style — calling a spade a spade and doing the hard, right thing.”The burden of a famous nameBeing the son of such a towering personality wasn’t always easy. Jatin admitted it was “a no-win situation.”“You’re always going to be compared. Not just as a cricketer, but as a person,” he said. “My father was known more for his coaching and leadership than his playing. That comparison was tougher, but you have to find your own path.”Supportive peers in a young Bombay team, he said, helped him shrug off the weight of expectations.