In the grand innings of Indian cricket, some players shine under the floodlights, while others shape the game from behind the scenes. Khodadad Yazdegardi is one such hero – mentor to some of the finest cricketers gracing the domestic and international stage. Despite his profound influence, he carries his legacy with remarkable humility, never seeking the spotlight. Off the pitch, he’s an astute financial strategist, leading a successful brokerage franchise. But it’s on the 22 yards of the cricket field that he discovered his true calling. As Vice President and Cricket Secretary of the historic Parsee Gymkhana and the mastermind behind Rainbow Warriors Sports & Event Management LLP, he has played a pivotal role in shaping cricketing talent and fuelling its growth. In an engaging conversation with PT’s Razvin Namdarian, Khodadad Yazdegardi reflects on his journey, the game he lives and breathes, and his unwavering commitment to cricket’s next generation.

Born and raised in Mumbai, Khodadad Yazdegardi spent much of his childhood at his grandmother’s in Khareghat Colony, where his love for cricket took root. It was nurtured by his uncles, both passionate cricketers, with his elder uncle, Rustom, having captained the Bombay Schools team at the national level. His talent was recognized early – at just 14, he was handpicked by the then Secretary of Parsee Gymkhana to play in the second division. From 1984 onward, he represented the club, playing extensively across Mumbai and even touring England with the Under-19 team.

When God has Other Plans….

It seemed he had his path to cricketing greatness chalked out for him, fate delivered an unexpected googly. “In 1993, while working in the stock market, I became a victim of the bomb blasts. The injuries were severe, bringing my cricketing days to an abrupt end,” he states with striking pragmatism. Since that fateful day, he has undergone 20 major and 37 minor surgeries, and even 30 years later, his body still carries fragments of glass, from skull to toe – a haunting reminder of the tragedy he survived.

“Every year on March 12th, I visit Dr. Adi Nazir, the man who gave me a second life. He performed my first surgery, an intense 18-hour operation at JJ Hospital, where I was rushed after the blast. My family had no idea where I was or what condition I was in, frantically searching for me, from hospital to hospital. I was later moved to Breach Candy Hospital, where I spent three weeks recovering. That day changed everything. I went from being a young kid with an ego to someone who now lives with deep gratitude and humility. It was a life-altering experience – one that reshaped me forever.”

Parsee Gymkhana and Cricket once more…

Despite the toll taken by the traumatic incident rendered playing cricket no more as an option, Khodadad continued working with Parsee Gymkhana in upholding its legacy in sport, as a Managing Committee member for two years and then becoming the youngest Vice President of Parsi Gym at age 32. Cricket beckoned in 2011, when the Cricket Secretary stepped down. “My colleagues suggested I take it up as we lacked candidates with a cricket background and I became the Cricket Secretary. The first year seemed daunting as I’d been completely cut off from cricket from 1993 – 2011. I didn’t know who was in the circuit. At the end of the season, I connected with my dear friend, Zubin Bharucha, who had also been my Under-19 cricket captain, who put me through to a good coach. Together, we mapped out a 10-year vision for the gymkhana’s cricket, laying the foundation for what would become a formidable team,” he shares.

2016 onwards, Parsee Gymkhana started winning all the major tournaments. “The 2020-21 season, in particular, was our best, when we won all 4 majors in cricket – The Police Shield, The RFS Talyarkhan Cup, Madhav Mantri Cup and The Salar Jung Shield – a record in itself!” he beams!

Some exceptional cricketers who have been associated with Parsee Gym under Khodadad’s direction include Surya Kumar Yadav, Tushar Deshpande, Aavishkar Salvi (bowling coach of the Indian Women’s team); IPL star players like Shams Mulani and Angkrish Raghuvanshi; and numerous Ranji Trophy players from Uttarakhand, Pondicherry, Railways. Khodadad credits this huge pool of talent, honed by Parsee Gymkhana, to the support of its ex-Presidents and current President, Mehli M. Golvala, “who has never said ‘no’ to anything that we need.”

The Many ‘Firsts’ to His Credit

With his enterprising spirit, Khodadad is a trailblazer who has embraced monumental challenges and leadership roles, executing them with remarkable excellence. “I always believe in giving my 200% to anything I take on,” he avers. In 2016 he was one of the facilitators who organised the first edition of the ‘The 1886 Trophy’, which commemorated the very first Indian Parsi team that had sailed to the UK to play cricket against the British, in 1886. Since 2016, the teams that compete are All-Parsi team from PG, where, “Two of our youngest and fittest players are above the age of 70,” says Khodadad, tongue firmly in cheek! This year, which marks PG’s glorious 140^th anniversary, the Charles Alcock XI and the Parsee XI will face off at the Oval in the UK.

“In 2019, I was the first person from PG to get elected to the Mumbai Cricket Association, Apex Council seat, in the first election after the Lodha Commission came in. I became the first match observer for the game at Rajkot, a T 20 international between India and Bangladesh,” shares Khodadad. He managed the Ranji Trophy team for the 2019-20 season, until January 2020, when he was appointed Manager for the touring Australian team for their 3-match ODI series in India, played in Mumbai, Rajkot and Bangalore.

In 2022, he established Rainbow Warriors Sports & Event Management LLP., a sports management unit which takes young cricketing talent to UK, Dubai and Sri Lanka to play county cricket, organized and managed entirely by them.

In 2023, Khodadad became the BCCI Manager of the Indian Emerging Players team for the Emerging Asia Cup, held in Columbo, played by 8 Asian nations.

This year, he was awarded the prestigious Late Air Marshall Minoo Merwan Engineer Trophy for Lifetime Contribution to the field of Parsi Sport.

Where are the Parsi Players?

When asked about the next gen of Parsi sportsmen and women to carry the legacy forward, he replies with a hint of sadness, “Every year, till 2016, PG organized free coaching net in the summer, but shut it down as there were no takers, boys just never turned up. It was revived in 2018 by an enthusiastic member, but it garnered only three registrations, and even they dropped out within 10 days!”

Sharing another disappointing example of the apathy towards cricket in our community, he says, “In 2012, Rustomjee Builders funded ₹14.5 lakh for constructing cricket nets at Malcolm Baug, Rustom Baug and Godrej Baug. Despite concrete surfaces and 18-feet nets, practice participation barely lasted a month! It was time and money wasted!”

As per Khodadad, the main reason Parsi boys or girls aren’t taking up the sport is because they don’t want to get out of their comfort zone. “Cricket is a tough game, requires a commitment of 3-4 hours daily, 365 days a year. Surya (SKY) did it. Tushar would travel from Titwalla with his heavy kit bag! If they can do it, why can’t our kids?” he questions. Adding an alternative perspective to this issue, he had shared, “Today, the average age of players in this tournament is 45 plus – this decline of young Zoroastrian participants is true for any sport or athletics, not just cricket,” as Guest of Honour at the annual Jiji Irani Challenge Cup (played by all Parsi cricketers from the five cities of Nagpur, Secunderabad, Jamshedpur, Surat and Kolkata) in January 2025.

“We have the eye for talent. I’m here to guide our youngsters but you can lead a horse to water, you can’t force it to drink!” His advice to parents is, “If you see talent in your child, you should be ready to invest the next ten years in them, where they will need to make sacrifices and be ready to run the extra mile. Prepare a roadmap for the coming years and follow it diligently.” But, there’s still hope. “There are a couple of teenage Parsi boys who show promise in the field of cricket,” says Khodadad.

Hopefully, more parents and children will find inspiration and embrace the dedication needed to build a promising cricketing future. As Khodadad firmly believes, “Hard work beats talent any day!” With a mentor like him guiding the next generation, the question isn’t if success is possible, it’s: What’s Stopping You?