Was IPL Coaching Stint With Sunrisers Hyderabad 'Bad' For Brian Lara? West Indies Great's Honest Answer

A smiling face at every corner, adulation that reminds him of family and to top it all off, a spicy, delectable plate of 'chhole bhature'. West Indies cricket great Brian Lara loves India and for a change, Bollywood has got nothing to do with it. The 55-year-old, who is in the country doing commentary for Star Sports in the ongoing IPL, took time out to visit the PTI headquarters for a free-wheeling interaction with its editors and did not hide his affection for the country where cricket is an obsession.

"I'm not a big Bollywood fan. I do come from a country with majority Indian population...So, there is a lot of interest in Bollywood. I'm not even an English movie fan. So unfortunately...Harry Potter and these things, I haven't really seen," he quipped with a wide grin on his face, turning on the charm offensive.

"But what I do like about India is the unconditional love," he quickly added.

Arguably one of the greatest batters of all time and one of the most recognisable cricketers internationally, Lara said what makes his love for India enduring is the warmth with which he is welcomed here.

"I think when you come to India, the way how you're treated, you know, and when you turn any corner there's a smile on someone's face just from seeing you. I think that is something that is refreshing and you know it's also very positive," he said.

"It has a positive effect on me being in India, being loved in a foreign country and the way that they...Walking in Miami on South Beach, everybody's pushing you out of the way.

"But in India, it's a whole different story, everybody pushing into you," he said while trying to explain what makes India so special for him.

"So, I think that from someone who started playing the game for the