In the introduction to the book Out of the Box - Watching the Game we Love, a compilation of weekly columns in The Indian Express by commentator Harsha Bhogle, Sachin Tendulkar writes: "The first time I met Harsha was when he interviewed me for a sports magazine when I was 14. I vividly remember that evening. We sat on one of the pitches in Shivaji Park and the interview slowly transformed into a larger discussion of cricket."

Bhogle remembers that evening well, and says that Tendulkar's entry to international cricket has been like a real-life drama that is close to his heart. "Though I'd covered a few Tests before I first interviewed Sachin - it was only in the following year that I took up cricket journalism seriously. His career has played out like a real-life drama in the 20 years since," Bhogle says. "In fact, there has always been a sense of drama about everything he has done on the field."

Fittingly, the first copy of the book will be presented to Tendulkar on Tuesday at an event, starting at 5.30 pm. The 275-page book, published in Viking by Penguin Books India, is priced at Rs 450 and captures the best of Bhogle's writing on various cricketing issues over the last few years.

Cricket has undergone a plethora of changes - some unprecedented and some inevitable - since Bhogle first started writing, and a lot of those issues will be addressed by an elite panel of experts - IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, Editor-in-Chief of IBN Network 18 Rajdeep Sardesai, former cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar and Bhogle - as they discuss 'Cricket in Changing Times' during the event organised with presenting partners SAIL, electronic media partners CNN-IBN, and hospitality partners Taj Lands End.

"I expect different perspectives to emerge from the discussion. The game is changing so rapidly that it is affecting different people in different ways," Bhogle says. "I hope Rajdeep expresses how it is affecting the manner of TV coverage. Sanjay played a lot of Test and ODI cricket during his time but I know he has been a keen follower of T20 cricket - I hope he explains how the changes will affect the development of young cricketers.

Voted as the most favourite cricket commentator in a global poll conducted by Cricinfo, Bhogle quotes cricket writer Peter Roebuck to describe his body of work: "My two best friends over the years have been cricket and the English language."