What is cricket? Not just a game!
Cricket is a sport that requires the use of a bat and ball. It is easily one of the most prevalent sports in the world. This game consists of two teams that include 11 players each. All eleven players support each other and play as a team against the opposition. Both teams take turns to ball and bat, and the team with the highest runs at the end of the game emerges victorious.
But in a cricket loving nation like India, cricket is much more than a sport. It is not just a game, it’s an emotion. Every shot, every swing, every spin, every sixer, every pace, every four, every wicket and every match is a reason to celebrate, a reason that brings smile to a million eager faces. It awakens a feeling of joy, of happiness, of victory and most importantly of infinite triumph. Cast, colour, ethnicity, social status, everything is overlooked when you see a team performing not only for themselves, but for the millions of people whose expectations are tied to the ongoing game.
India is known as a country that finds unity in diversity. It is an accumulation of varied beliefs and cultures where people following different religions and faith come together in the spirit of unity. One such binding factor in India is the game of cricket. Indian cricket has evolved far beyond the gentlemen's game to create a place for itself in the hearts of millions of fans. The cricketers are not just players anymore. They are treated like celebrities, role models and even Gods to a huge part of the population.
Cricket has a naturally sophisticated appeal to most Indians. It is a non-aggressive game with intricate rules, allowing for more real-time strategy and value of experience than just youthful athleticism. Despite being a team game, it allows for more individual expression in well-defined roles, hence cricketers are seen as intelligent strategists than just as boys who can run, chase and jump.
The magnitude of Indians’ love for cricket is as incomprehensible as its feverish intensity. Cricket also throws up many exciting lessons that every individual can learn from and integrate in their personal and professional lives.
It teaches one teamwork. It shows you how you’re strong alone but together, you’re stronger. It shows how players move ahead together, support each other, make runs in partnership, and never leave a man behind. It also teaches how to work effectively under pressure. The ability to stay calm and collected with an uncluttered mind is one of the most important virtues of great cricketers, especially captains. This helps in calming the nerves of the rest of the team and ensures that they remain focused and continue to believe in themselves.
In cricket, strategizing becomes essential as crucial decisions need to be taken with regards to batting order, bowling changes, strike bowlers and batsman the team will use. The right decisions at the right times turn out to be a game-changer for most teams.
Every cricketing team factors in the element that losses can be part of every endeavour and it would be their approach to the next matches that can make or break their game. There are always opportunities to learn and rebuild.
The game of cricket is a reflection of all the hard work and tenacity that players put into every match. Lessons from cricket serve as a roadmap which can help individuals pursue their ultimate goals.
Cricket reminds the average man every single day that there are a lots of ups and downs in life, but if you’re at the right path, and keep working and following your dreams, you will definitely reach the position you aim to be and bring the same level of joy and happiness to yourself, and the ones who love and support you. Cricket and it’s entanglement with everyday life in a country like India is almost magical.
-Abigail Gretel Soares