People always ask whether Cricket is a mania or religion??

Well from my perspective who is sitting thousands of miles away from my home country cricket has proved to be a bridge, a media to be connected in spirit to my fellow countrymen and women. I have equally shared in the hopes, heartbreaks, ups and downs. I have actually finished all my nails in nervousness and heartattacks when a ball was caught or run not made. I connected with my friends in no other way for a long time, using the wonders of internet and not to be forgotten FACEBOOK, texted, read and shared the feelings of millions of not only Indians but many South Asians.

Since childhood I have seen Cricket uniting us, yes, true people get carried away but the fact is also true that generations across get together and share the hopes and happiness and ofcourse sadness..Today I saw my 10 yr old enjoying the match and learning the basic of a game that his parents grew up with. My son who understands the basics of Soccer and Baseball wanted to know what are wickets and how a run is scored.

I have faint memories of 1983 and pretty good memories of a game in 1985 where Ravi Shastri drove around the stadium in his new Car, today I lived and cherished a world cup victory that I would remember till the end. And my son has his first impressions which would dull with time but I hope he gets to witness an actual World Cup Victory and many great games with great teams playing on both sides as an adult and we both get to live and relive and bond over the same.

Winning and loosing is part of the game, no doubt winning feels good but good cricket played competently by best of the teams can actually increase the fun by many folds…It’s no fun winning against a weaker opponent, as proved by recent matches a worthy opponent makes all the difference. And for people like us Cricket is not a religion nor mania, we don’t live by it nor do we die for it but yes, it is the spirit that makes us connect and be proud of the legacy that we have.