Murali Vijay: 10 things you probably didn't know about him
By his sheer perseverance and determination, Murali Vijay has made himself into one of the best Test openers in the world at present. Not known to betray much emotion, it is his patience and calmness that has made him such a fine Test player.
Also read: Murali Vijay: My philosophy is that I can survive on the street
But let us for once try to go behind the calmness and composure and try to unearth 10 lesser known facts about Murali Vijay. Quirky, vibrant and sometimes funny, these facts tell a very different story and help us to form a more wholesome view about India's stoic yet successful Test opener.
1. Murali failed in his Class XII exams
Never one to be over-awed by bookish knowledge, Vijay initially decided to give up studying after failing his class XII exams. His father was particularly unhappy with his results, but Vijay decided that he had had enough and would go out to experience the world.
Speaking about his indifference for the academic curriculum, Vijay said, “My whole family was into studies and would cry for that one mark which didn’t get them 100. I was the complete opposite. My sister scored 98 per cent in Class XII. I got 40.
“My outlook was to get out there, travel, meet people and do something. Bookish knowledge never appealed to me. I got no kick out of it. I was not a bad student, mind you.”
2. Murali Vijay Left home at the age of 17
Having flunked his exams and a stray remark from his father that he was fit to be a peon, Vijay decided to leave home at the tender age of seventeen. Homeless, Vijay checked into the Deluxe Hotel in T Nagar.
It was a small hotel without any beds and Vijay shared his room with a driver and another man. Vijay admits that he did suffer from moments of self-doubt. “What am I doing with my life? Am I making the right decisions? Can I live alone? I wanted to try it out before I fell back on my parents’ support,” he said.
3. Vijay worked in a snooker parlour
Desperate to earn some money, he hid his plight from his friends and found work in a snooker parlour. He exercised, worked in the snooker parlour and somehow even found time to nurture his passion by practising cricket.
He even joined a 'chain business' later and tried to influence other people to join it as it would get him some commission. Vijay feels that that was the period in his life which made him independent.
It also taught him that he could survive anywhere and anyhow. He learnt that he had it in him to even survive on the streets. That made him tougher as an individual.