Whether it has been their fun-filled celebrations on the field or the amazing skill that they have displayed, Trinidad and Tobago have won a lot of hearts in India during the last week. There was no stopping Daren Ganga and his boys as they danced around in front of a packed crowd at the Indira Gandhi International Stadium after Wednesday’s three-run victory over Deccan Chargers, but the celebrations were not limited to the field.

Sitting in the dressing-room and frantically waving their T&T flags were Ramesh and Seerajie Ganga, the proud parents of Daren and Sherwin, and they later said the stunning win made their first-ever trip to India already worth it.

“There were times when we were really scared in the box. There were close to 50, 000 Deccan fans and just a handful of us. It wasn’t the same when we beat Somerset in Bangalore,” says Seerojie, who is referred to as Junna by the rest of the T&T squad.

Despite having watched a number of her sons’ games back home, Seerojie insists that the game against the Chargers had been the most nerve-wracking experience of her life.

Sleepless nights

Ramesh, who recently retired as a primary school teacher, says that that the whole family spent sleepless nights when Daren was first picked for his tour to South Africa in 1998 as an 18-year-old.

“Our elder son Sheldon used to keep telling him to calm down,” he says about those nervous nights when the Gangas used to sit and watch their son play at 2 in the

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