For gold tycoon Siddharth Mehta, cricket autographs are a treasure

Rajesh Exports heir Siddharth Mehta is a busy man. The company has bought the world's largest gold refinery, Valcambi, in Switzerland. However, Mehta is an ardent cricket fan. So much so that before the Bengaluru-based company got busy with the acquisition (an all-cash deal worth $400 million), he would take time out to play his favourite sport.

"I wouldn't call myself a great player but I love to play the sport," says Mehta.

He dreamt of becoming a cricketer. While that didn't happen, he manages to get his dose of the game by being part of a team that meets every Sunday for a match.
"It's a 20-member team that was formed nearly a year ago," Mehta says. "We go for Sunday tournaments on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The team members are part of the local Jain Sangh, which holds a cricket tournament at the end of the year. In fact, we also have a two-month tennis tournament, in which my dad, uncle, my brother and I participate. It's a family outing."

Mehta had the opportunity of meeting the Indian cricket team when it was in Bangalore for practice. "It was a big moment for me," he says. "I got everybody's autograph in a book, especially the big five - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. That book is one of my prized possessions."