Its been close to 4 years since I last wrote something on this blog and even though in the grander scheme of things, it doesnt feel like a really long time but in actuality, humanity itself has gone through a major upheaval and 4 years ago might as well have been a different era in human history.
COVID hit us and the life came to a standstill. Several lives were lost. Everything changed, from the way we work to the way we think about our lives. The minor quibbles and petty problems which plagued our day to day lives, suddenly seemed way less important. And so changed the way we thought about a lot of things. Cricket became the one source of respite from the problems in the world at least for Indians. It also helped that the ICT was playing a lot more cricket than it used to. And the other important thing was that they were playing well, winning a lot more than losing. So in a small way, their performances at the world stage became a small source of gratification for Indians.
By the time 2023 came around, the following of the cricket team became a staple conversation along with the weather and 'weekend plans'. In fact any light conversation i was having with anybody, did involve cricket (because i hate discussing politics). It almost came as a shock to me when i met a guy (read normal well-adjusted human being) during my work, who didnt care or follow cricket. It was incredulous to me that for him Cricket was just another sport like a volleyball or a sepak takraw. By the time the Cricket World cup in India came around, Cricket had become a part of Indian subconscious.
It reached it crescendo during the world cup where our team was literally decimating every other team which it faced. The euphoria surrounding every Indian performance was something I had yet to experience. Almost every discussion or chat had World Cup parlance being used, often even in business setting. After every Indian win, i actually noticed happier work environment and smoother and faster flow of meetings. In fact even some of the insufferable people I used to come across were oddly tolerable.
It seemed to have been written in stars. India breezed past the league stage and defeated NZ in the semis. We were primed for glory. Even the PM was coming to watch the match in his eponymous stadium. The supremacy in all ICC rankings was about to bear fruition as India was poised to lift the world cup once again. But it all came crashing down in the finals. Sure, the team which played better on the given day won the match but India was by far the best team in the competition.
What happened after that was something i was not ready for. The sheer disappointment and sadness which engulfed me was not expected. I pride myself on being a fairly even-tempered person but the loss did affect me in a way i had not envisioned. The next few days after the final, were not great. People were snappy, the meetings were drawn out and contentious. Previously, I used to happily introduce cricket into any conversation but post the finals I actively avoided any mention or discussion on the topic. It took me a few days to get over that feeling and accept that what happens in a cricket match has absolutely no bearing on our day to day lives. It did help to see the Indians drubbing Aussies 4-1 ten days later, but thats besides the point.
As i end this post, I am happy to be back to my usual self. Cricket is now just one of my many interests. I am telling myself that trophies do not define what we are as Indians, who are getting into dominant positions in all facets of world, not just cricket. And I am starting to get excited about the month long tough cricket tour of SA, in which ICT will most probably lose quite a few matches. But hey, atleast the hope is back.
Signing off till the next time.
