It never seemed like a celebrity-fan chat, says NetApp's Anil Valluri

Name: Anil Valluri, NetApp's India President

Idol: Sunil Gavaskar

Anil Valluri, NetApp's India and SAARC president was always a big fan of cricketer-turned-commentator Sunil Gavaskar and his joy knew no bounds when he got to meet his idol - not just once, but twice. "Our first meeting was on a Mumbai-Bengaluru flight. I was privileged to get a seat next to my childhood idol and strike up a conversation that eventually turned into a long chat," says Valluri.

The chance encounter happened when Gavaskar was on his way to commentate for a 2009 IPL match. Valluri admits that he was reluctant at first because he was not sure how forthcoming Gavaskar would be. Lucky for Valluri, the interaction was not even slightly overshadowed by Gavaskar's celebrity status. Valluri grew up collecting pictures of his favourite cricketer, but this run-in was far from being just about his admiration for Gavaskar. "It never seemed like a celebrity-fan chat. He came across as intelligent and articulate. The subjects ranged from how he spends time playing with his grand-daughter, to his new place in Worli," recalls Valluri.

Years later in 2014, Valluri got to interact with Gavaskar again when he was the chief guest at the NetApp Innovation Awards. As Valluri briefed the cricketer about the ceremony, his regard for the sportsman only grew. "He was a thorough professional in his conduct - receptive to the brief, asking pertinent questions regarding the audience so that he could tailor his conversation accordingly," says Valluri. "What struck me most was that in spite of his accomplishments, his conduct was of a complete gentleman. The sheer respect he commanded when he walked into our award ceremony was awe-inspiring. The venue was packed with over 100 plus IT leaders from across India, who gave him a standing ovation as soon as he walked in, so that's saying something about the man," says Valluri.