Celebrating Piyush Pandey: The Ad Maestro with a Cricketer’s Spirit

Piyush Pandey was a multifaceted individual — renowned as an advertising genius, a storyteller, and a man of wit. Yet, a lesser-known chapter of his life is his passion for cricket, where he was a gutsy player. Although he participated in only five First-Class matches for Rajasthan, scoring 105 runs, many might forget that he captained several Indian internationals during his college years.

One such player was Arun Lal. “He was my captain at St. Stephen’s College in New Delhi, and I must say, he was an excellent cricketer. As a captain, he was no-nonsense but had a big heart,” Lal shared with Sportstar.

During those times, inter-college tournaments held the allure of Test cricket. When St. Stephen’s faced Hindu College, Delhi practically came to a standstill. Under Piyush’s leadership, they clinched the title.

Though their paths diverged—Lal joining the Delhi Ranji Trophy team and eventually playing for India, while Piyush ascended in the advertising world—they remained lifelong friends. Lal remarked, “He valued people and their stories. Had he been a tad more serious, he might have succeeded in cricket too. But for him, statistics held no charm; it was people’s stories that mattered. Cricket’s loss was definitely advertising’s gain.”

Despite his brief cricket tenure, leading the Rajasthan U-23 team and playing under Kailash Gattani in Ranji Trophy, Piyush left a lasting impact. Gattani noted that Piyush, a stable top-order batter and adept wicketkeeper, filled crucial gaps in the team. “A team player at heart, he readily took up wicketkeeping duties,” Gattani recalled.

As Piyush transitioned to advertising, his creativity and wit were no surprise to his cricketing peers. Suresh Shastri and Mahesh Sharma recalled his happy-go-lucky nature and storytelling passion, which eventually found a bigger stage in the advertising realm.

Even after his cricketing days, Piyush stayed connected with his teammates, often visiting old friends in Jaipur to reminisce about their shared past on the cricket field.

Taposh Chatterjee, now a respected pitch curator, and Amrit Mathur, a cricket columnist, both played under Piyush for Rajasthan U-23. They remember him as a ‘gutsy cricketer’ who prioritized the game, always supportive and approachable.

In his storied career, Piyush not only created memorable brands but also left an indelible mark on those around him with his humor and love for cricket—a legacy cherished by friends and colleagues alike. His spirit is captured in conversations that always promised a future meeting: “Yaar, kab mil na hai batao… (Let me know when you want to meet).”