The country witnessed unbelievable scenes. It was a sight to see a million jubilant fans dance on the streets. One saw people performing pujas and anointing the God with oil to thank him for fulfilling our 28 year old dream. This shows that for most Indians, cricket has become a religion.
The religion of cricket has no holy books but there are several Gods. From legendary players like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, all have been incredibly popular in India. Personally I have been a huge fan of MS Dhoni and adore him more than any other cricketer. The contributions he has made to the Indian cricket are tremendous. The way the Indian captain has carried the responsibilities of Indian cricket on his shoulders is something worth admiring.
On December 23, 2013, MS Dhoni completed 9 years of international cricket. He has already been credited as the world’s best finisher and is arguably the best leader India has ever had. I hope the midas touch he possesses would bring him and India a lot more success in the days to come.
Certainly, to be a cricketer of this nation and the struggle it takes to get there does pay rich dividends. Indian cricketers are ‘worshipped’ after all. When the Indian team wins , it is not just a win for the fans , they celebrate it like a festival and when it loses the defeat is seen as a national tragedy generating a lot of criticism.
Until last year I was lucky enough to watch most matches live sitting at my residence in Goa. But the experience I had at Mangalore during the course of my studies and at different places finding different positions to watch the match from, is what I would cherish forever in my life. I personally see this game as much more than a game. Cricket teaches you a lot about life too. It tells you what happiness, it teaches you to get up when you fall and fight till you win. It tells you that losers are not the ones who fall, losers are the ones who refuse to get up when they fall. Cricket can inspire you in more than a single way. It also teaches you to be a better human being, to respect people for the good things and gain respect for the things you do sincerely and what you are genuinely good at. It shows you the importance of commitment to a person or a group and makes you understand that no one can be perfect. We need to live with the imperfections at times and support people in their ups and downs for our life is one roller coaster ride!
The heart beats faster, the nails find it difficult to survive and not to forget the several objects in the house which pray for their lives when the match turns into a close finish. The pleasure, the excitement a single opposition wicket can bring or a single boundary from our batsmen can bring, is simply unbelievable. The happiness an Indian team’s victory can bring is at times immeasurable. The goose bumps, the fond memories or the highlights of a special victory produce on the skin speak volumes of what the game means to us. The game of cricket cannot be just a game!! There is life in it. Yes there is life in those 22 yards!!Long live cricket.
