I began playing cricket because everyone around was into cricket. They did play other sports in our neighborhood, badminton and hockey, volleyball; football was really popular when Mumbai’s monsoon was on, we would dance in the rain as we played the beautiful game, but yet, somehow, it never was quite cricket. Cricket was special.
I think things began to change for me when I began understanding that there was more to cricket than picking up a bat and trying to take a wild swipe at everything that came its way. That was also when I began to dream.
It was around 9 or 10 and, watching my brother and some older guys in the building play, I wanted to be like them, to play like them, with them. My imagination at that stage only took me to a place where I was intensely competitive, enough to be among the top batsmen in my group. If you did well, you were lucky, you would get a prized invitation to play with the older boys and if that happened, your success and reputation in the peer group was assured.
So that’s what happened with me. I was 10 when I was called to play with people aged 20 or 22. And then, that year, India won the World Cup. Life was never the same again. For millions of us, young and restless and hopeful, that was the beginning of a special love story with a special game.
Having said that, I think every game is special and India’s recent winning season across sports has been wonderful to watch and so very encouraging. I have watched, with pride and joy, as the hockey team has started to pick itself up; I have watched our footballers play with rejuvenated enthusiasm and dreams in their eyes; and have watched excitedly as people like world billiards champion Pankaj Advani, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh and tennis star Sania Mirza have made us proud. Most of all, I have followed, every inch of a proud Indian, the ascent of Viswanathan Anand to the chess world championship crown over the weekend.
In sport, we have several ups and downs, but being a sportsman of course, one doesn't like to lose. In fact, I think the only time I have intentionally allowed myself to relax in competition is against my children, because my wife tells me that you have to sometimes let your kids win.
At the same time, I still don't allow them to win every time. They have a long way to go and I think it's important to reinforce the message, as subtly as possible to youngsters that you have to earn your stripes in life; that, the world might lie ahead but you need to work towards conquering that world.
Don’t run after Success, run after excellence.
