The World Cup Pulse
Cricket- This 7-letter word can mean different things to different people. It evokes a certain set of emotions when I hear the same. The latest buzzword going around cricket circles is the World Cup. As I get ready to join the Indian bandwagon to rally in support of the Men in Blue ahead of the all-important clash in Lucknow against the defending champions England, here are my thoughts on what this World Cup means to me, cricket and India.
India is hosting an ODI World Cup after 12 years. A home World Cup always has flavours of pomp and pageantry. Halfway into the World Cup, it has already given some mammoth showdowns, and unexpected results with some elite and rich cricket on display on the way. Given that the future of the ODI format is in jeopardy, this might be the last time ever that India gets to host an ODI World Cup before the Sun sets for the one last time on this format.
World Cup is Cricket’s biggest carnival, the ultimate show-stopper and given the sporadic and stellar performances of Team India, it should come as a no-brainer that it has slowly, yet steadily begun to hold a grip on the pulse of this cricket-crazy country. Not often do you see two of the biggest festivals in this country( Navratri & Diwali) being overshadowed by the grandeur of this cricketing festival that has been enduring since the start of October and will only become intense as Team India’s performances raise hopes to end a decade-long ICC trophy drought.
India’s greatest unifying force- cricket has unleashed its most powerful and popular weaponry in the form of the ODI World Cup. Some palpable fears remained as to whether the ODI World Cup has lost its sheen but given the “upsets” that this World Cup has seen, those seem to be frizzling away. Cricket’s ongoing mega-festival is already creating countless stories with each one of us that will stay with us for decades to come.
As a young school kid in the mid-2000s, I fell in awe watching highlights of the 2003 ODI World Cup, a World Cup in which a crop of young Indians along with the God of Cricket stormed albeit unexpectedly into the finals before being defeated by the mighty Aussies. I was too young to understand the heartbreak of the early exit of the 2007 World Cup. But I do vividly remember stories of the night of 2nd April 2011 wherein India lifted the World Cup after 28 long years. It remained one of the most memorable evenings of that decade. 12 years later, I have fond memories of that final, thoughts of which take me back to unprecedented nostalgia. It was then that the seeds of watching an India game at the World Cup live inside the stadium were sown. It was then that a young boy dreamt of being a part of the story of India’s victorious World Cup campaign, contributing in the little possible way by watching an India match live where it takes place to create stories and memories for life.
Harp back to 2nd April 2011. I vividly remember it was just the beginning of the summer vacation. But that night, I had seen random people dancing and hugging each other on the streets of Mumbai after the Indian skipper finished the World Cup final with a 6. It felt like a common man’s World Cup victory. It felt as if everyone was resonating with that victory. The memories of that vacation are like the happy space wherein the nostalgia generated even recollecting is something unprecedented.
Just the belief that the country had in 2011 that India could go all the way and win the World Cup was something really really special. It is the same belief that has been recurring this year. Every third person on the local train and public transport is glued to his mobile screen watching live streaming or checking the scores of the World Cup. Any shop right from the small pan tapri/ ice-cream parlour to a large grocery store that you visit, suddenly, there’ll be a loud roar or a small cheer coming across from the crowds in the stadium that you’ll hear in the small video being playing in some corner wherein you’d also hear the cracking sound of the bat. Every office that you visit, you’ll find a cricket match displayed on the big screen. Every hotel that you go to, you’ll see the World Cup being telecasted. And with every Indian win, come back the lost belief and strengthen the hope that history is in the making.
To find myself lost in the sea of Blue supporters waving and cheering for the nation is my kind of pilgrimage. The energy in those crowds is pure magic and bliss. And India, after 12 long years has got the opportunity to host cricket’s biggest event. The results might not always be in our favour but the positive vibrations/ energy levels generated therein just help to overcome the sorrow that comes along with any defeat.
Not every year will you see people skip Garba /Dandiya events to watch performances from India’s skipper Rohit Sharma or the greatest chase master to have ever graced this format, Virat Kohli. The current performances of Team India are enough motivation for people to be kept glued to television. India is looking absolutely ruthless halfway through the World Cup and I firmly believe that the only thing that can stop India from winning the trophy is succumbing to the burden of expectations.
This World Cup is giving some really special vibes, unlike the previous ones. The Indian Cricket Team has single-handedly contributed in leaps and bounds to my happiness over the years but if India lifts this Home World Cup, it’ll be the single greatest joyful moment. It is way too early to fret and lose sleep over November 19 but just like the crazy Indian Cricket fan, I have already entered a different zone and am absolutely pumped up altogether for the World Cup as it heads into the final leg.
The kind of jaw-dropping and dominating performances that we are currently witnessing from the Indian cricket team are raising the hopes of the Indian fans. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are allowing billions of Indians like me to bask in the glory of their magnificent performances, making life look tension-free for the time that they manage to spend on the crease. The amount of sheer joy that the team is bringing to people’s lives is just gold dust. When Team India performs well, India sleeps well. Cricket, as a sport is such a great leveller in this big, beautiful world of ours.
My dream of the year remains the same as I dreamt in 2011. I dream of seeing Team India end the World Cup drought. The World Cup dream has eluded us for far too long and it is only befitting that it comes home now. I dream of random people coming out on the streets in jubilation in the night, hugging each other, bursting crackers throughout the country, and having an extended Diwali on November 19th. I am eagerly waiting to re-create the April 2011 story, for it could be the very last time in cricket’s history that India lifts the World Cup on home soil. There are far too many things for cricket’s future at stake, beginning with the future of this format. It is extremely important for India to win this World Cup not just because they deserve it because of their performances but also for this format to not be dumped in cold storage.
All we can do at the moment is rally our support behind the team, throng the stadiums in support, cheer our way by making every India match an event and lastly hope that the sea of blue has reasons to smile on the night of November 19th. For once a great man said, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies”.
Chak De India.
