Murali is a good friend,says Shweta Salve

Shweta Salve on cricket

I grew up watching cricket because you can't escape it in this country. All the men in my family — my dad and uncles — helped develop my interest in the game. I get very passionate about the game sometimes.

I also prefer watching matches at home rather than at the stadium because of all the extra information like hawk eye, replays etc. that television provides.

Also, it's comfortable and I can watch matches with my entire family. Two years ago, while I was shooting in Sri Lanka, I met the whole Sri Lanka and New Zealand team when they were playing a series. I also became good friends with Muralitharan.

During my stint as a television host, I got to meet legends of the game like Kapil Dev and Geoffrey Boycott. It was a pleasure interacting with them.

I have a lot of memories attached with the game. For example, when Chetan Sharma took a hattrick, it was one of the most pleasant days of my life. Conversely, when Javed Mianded won the match with a six against India, I was sad for a long time. I also feel depressed whenever (Sachin) Tendulkar gets out.

As told to Priyanko Sarkar