Using Indian cricket as the spine, Amrish Kumar tells a coming-of-age story in his book Gods of Willow. The tale draws an arc from Hyderabad to Mumbai with the protagonist Kabir Menon going through a series of life-alterations. Through him, we observe India of the 1990s and early 2000s.The sweeping gaze takes in all, be it politics, cricket, media, communalism and then juxtaposes it with personal facets like adolescence, first love, childhood friendships and even wretched office politics. The initial part deals with Kabir’s college days with its underpinnings of cricket and a tender romance. A batter fancying his chances of playing for Hyderabad, he realises that life is never easy.