Champions League Twenty20: Family prepares for Ish Sodhi’s homecoming

For Sodhi, who has played eight Tests for New Zealand, the match will remain special irrespective of the result because it will be the first time his grandmother would watch him ‘live’ at a stadium.  Sodhi was born in Ludhiana but when he was just four his family moved to Auckland.”

It is just amazing to win all three games of the CLT20 qualifiers and advance to the next stage. I was hoping to get a chance to play in Mohali. It would be great to play in front of the family.

It would be very special when my grandmother comes to the stadium. I might plan a visit to Khanna and Ludhiana if the schedule permits. My father and mother have seen me play at the big stage but my relatives have not,” Sodhi told The Indian Express from Raipur.

His father Raj Singh, a doctor who specializes in mental health and works for a NGO in Auckland, talks of the special bond between the grandmother and her grandson though they have spent a good part of their lives thousands of miles apart. An extended family, including cousins will be at the stadium on September 26.

“Ish is very attached to his grandmother. And when it was clear that Northern Districts would play in Mohali, Ish’s grandmother was the one who was most thrilled in the family. She has been telling everyone about it. It would have been super if Ish’s grandfather could have joined us too, but owing to his ill-health he is not allowed to travel,” Raj said.

Northern Districts knocked Mumbai Indians on Wednesday night to reach the next stage in Group B. Ish bagged two wickets against the Lahore Lions. Sodhi started as a pacer, but switched to spin during a coaching clinic in suburban Auckland conducted by former New Zealand off-spinner Dipak Patel.