Indian-origin cricketer Ish Sodhi has an interesting story behind his name. The New Zealand leg-spinner was named Inderbir by his grandfather but soon after moving from India, he had to change his name, or we can say, it was changed by his friends.
In a chat with Hindustan Times, Sodhi revealed how 'Inderbir' turned into 'Ish'. “My grandfather named me Inderbir but my nickname was Ishu. When we moved to New Zealand, people there couldn’t pronounce my name correctly, so I’d be called Inderbird, bird, and birdie… In school, we read a story about a bird called Ishmail and soon my friends started identifying me with the bird and nicknamed me Ish,” the leggie said.
Sodhi is into rap music. The cricketer calls himself a part-time rapper and he loves rapping. Putting light onto it, he said, "Rapping is not my real job, but something I enjoy doing. I love how words and expressions rhyme and when you add music, it turns into a beautiful piece. Making music helps me unwind, so, whenever I’m not playing, I pen lyrics and add beats to them."
When asking about his first rap and any Indian rapper he would like to work with, Sodhi responded, "My friends feel I’m slightly autistic. I’m really good with numbers, remembering steps and lyrics. It all started when I heard Eminem for the first time and found his rap so creative. So, I started rapping his songs first and later writing and rapping my own lyrics."
On collaboration: "I’d definitely love to collaborate at some point, but right now I’m concentrating on cricket. I really like Badshah and he is pretty cool. I love Wakhra Swag track. I also like Yo Yo Honey Singh."
He may love cricket and music equally but always prioritises cricket. "When you love something so much, balancing is easy. I absolutely love bowling leg spin — it’s an art. So, cricket is number one and then comes music," he said.
Time issue doesn't allow the cricketer to follow Bollywood movies, but he loves it. "I do, but not much, as I don’t get time. It’s really interesting how rap music in India has been taking off and nice to see that a lot of talent is coming from Punjab and are a part of Bollywood, too. My mother is always watching Hindi films, and whenever I’m home, I end up watching movies with her. I recently saw some amazing ones like Pink and Padman. Also, I feel I need to work on my Hindi and Punjabi (laughs)," he said.
The leggie has been included in the New Zealand side for the upcoming ICC World Cup. When questioned whether that thought excites or makes him nervous, Ish said he isn't thinking about it much.
"Right now, it’s IPL is on my mind; World Cup is a while away. This time it’s happening in the country [England] where cricket was born and it’s after 20 years that Britain is playing host. But there is no sense of being worried or nervous, I’m just excited. The nervousness will start when we start to begin playing, but that’s what cricket is all about," he said.
Sodhi, being a Punjabi, loves the Punjabi dishes. "Rajma Chawal, chole bhature, dal makhni, paneer bhindi and all these are cooked by my family in Punjab. Every time I am here they treat me to this amazing food. Also, my grandma makes a sweet dish called choori for me. This time too she got some specially made for me," he said.
The leggie will soon tie knots with Angelina Van Roosamalen this year. "We’ll have two ceremonies in New Zealand, one church and one Gurudwara wedding. We’re also planning a reception in Punjab," he said.
His girlfriend doesn't like cricket. She only watches it because of Ish. "Angelina is an HR manager and doesn’t like cricket much. She loves the game because I play it, but then cricket keeps me away from her," he said.
The leggie admires Anil Kumble and he is his favorite cricketer. When asked about his favorite song, the aspiring rapper named "Wakhra Swag" and "Tenu Suit Suit Karda". He likes Bollywood actor Aamir Khan a lot and his favorite movie is 3 idiots.
(With Hindustan Times Inputs)
