Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble (Credits: Twitter)

Anil Kumble, former Indian captain and a champion leg-spinner, recalled how he and his family were saved ‘just in the nick of time’ during the dastardly 2004 Tsunami. Chennai was one of the worst-hit places during the Tsunami disaster of 2004 and Anil Kumble, at the time, was staying at Fisherman’s Cove, coastal part of the Chennai on the day.

It was a close shove for the legendary former leg-spinner when he left the place just before the Tsunami struck on the shores of Tamil Nadu. Kumble has a return flight on the morning of that particular day and the right-hander, during an interaction with ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on ‘DRS with Ash’ revealed that he saw people drenching and shivering as he was getting out of the hotel.

“It was like movies”, said the legendary leg-spinner as he narrated the horrific scenes where he saw people moving with whatever they could. They had kids on their shoulders and luggage in their hands a perplexed Kumble, unaware of the gravity of the situation was perplexed at what was happening around him.

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“We were probably destined and saved just in the nick of time”- Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble Reveals How He And His Family Escaped From Tsunami In The 'Nick Of Time'
Anil Kumble (Credits – AFP)

It was only after he and his family reached Bengaluru and they switched on the television that Kumble realized what had transpired. Two years later he came to knew that the bridge was submerged after he had left the place.

“As we were checking out I saw a young couple in their bathrobes, you know literally drenched, and they were shivering. I couldn’t make out what it was. We just walked out and sat in the car. After Fisherman’s Cove there’s a bridge, and I could literally touch the water,” Anil Kumble revealed.

“When I came back to Bangalore and then switched on the television that’s when I realized that a tsunami had happened so we were totally unaware as to what had happened,” he added.

In what turned out to be one of the greatest tragedies of the 21st century, more than 8000 people lost their lives to the deadly waves that stuck Tamil Nadu in 2004.

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