MANMOHAN DHAR
India does it with pride. Well friends, the fact of the matter is that every Indian feels on top of the world with this phenomenal victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup at Trinidad, West Indies
Unbeaten throughout the tournament India gives a wonderful gift to fellow citizens well before the Independence Day. We celebrated the victory today and we will celebrate it once again on 15th of August when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will perhaps congratulate team India and the people of India from the ramparts of Red Fort. Don’t know, but perhaps he will.
Remember 1983, when team India under the leadership of legendary Kapil Dev won the ODI World Cup defeating West Indies in the final held at Lords cricket ground, England. India’s second World Cup win was in the year 2011 when they won the tournament on home soil defeating Sri Lanka in the final at Wankhade stadium, Mumbai under the leadership of yet another cricket legend Mahinder Singh Dhoni.
While the match was on, it seemed that India stands no chance of any win at all, but as we all know cricket is a game of uncertainties. Sometimes it catches you unawares and then all of a sudden, you see a post mortem of what happened. A dramatic turn in the game changed the fortunes in just a fraction of a second when Surya Kumar Yadav turned an impossible catch into a reality.
Indian cricket has gone through a lot of ups and downs. It has made country proud and at times it has missed the bus too. But, what Indian cricket has achieved during the last decade is phenomenal. India has not only won international tournaments but has also been able to put an impact on the world cricket.
When it comes to quality and the level of cricket in global arena, India is no less than a giant in the game.
World cricket body the ICC also has to put things in place only after a due consultation with the world’s richest cricket board BCCI. In other words it can be said that BCCI has a commanding position in world cricket. But, that does not mean that BCCI in any way impresses upon the ICC to do things which could be detrimental in the longer run for a smooth voyage of the game of cricket.
What is more important is that the board of cricket in India gives the same weightage to women’s cricket as well. Though India is doing well internationally in women’s cricket but there is still a lot which when taken care of can put the Indian women’s cricket in the lead globally.
Thanks to some very progressive and constructive measures taken by the Indian cricket board for the state of art development of the game and also the players’ welfare is concerned. Memories are still alive when Indian cricketers used to have numberless complaints regarding the upliftment issues and the callous approach of the management towards the players who put the prime of their life into the well being of the game and still were looked down due to various constraints of the board.
But, Indian cricket is going to new heights and the world has acknowledged the supremacy India enjoys. This is the reason that India as a team has learnt to finish the game in their favour despite being at the verge of defeat. And, this T20 World Cup is the live example of the ultimate supremacy that Indian cricket and Indian players enjoy and are being respected for.
Future of Indian cricket is very bright and it has entered an era where it can broaden the ambit of the game with its authoritative position recognised the world over.
It is not the tournaments you win that speak of the hold you have on the game. It is the leadership that you can provide to the entire world to create an acceptance for the game of cricket. It is a well known fact that soccer is the most popular game the world over, but at the same time the popularity of cricket can in no means be underrated. Still there is a lot that needs to be done in making the game a worldwide feature.
BCCI undoubtedly is in a strong position to have an impact on world cricket and can change the image of the game to the extent that the non playing countries also get reasonably attracted towards the gentleman’s game.
This World Cup can be a key factor in propagating the degree of Karisma and the glamour this wonderful game carries with it. World bodies associated with the game shall definitely look into the avenues which can help a great deal in establishing the magical influence of the game. And, nevertheless BCCI hold the centre stage to make things go in the right direction.
Senior players of Indian cricket have set an example for the entire world when Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravinder Jadeja decided to hang up their boots for T20 cricket. This was a fantastic gesture on part of these giants of the game and they have set an example for all those who think they are indispensable. Greatness of players lies not in their arrogance but it comes to fore when they display a gesture of cricketing maturity. And that is what has been established by these legends of world cricket.
It is time to celebrate and at the same time look into avenues to make Indian cricket more impressive and inspiring.