Lessons from a Cricket Match

It was the final match of the T20 Cricket World Cup tournament.

India had put up a worthy total to chase in the first half, but South Africa was in no mood to let the World Cup trophy slip away.

A series of high-scoring overs and South Africa only needed 30 runs from 30 balls to win the tournament.

If you're new to cricket, scoring 30 runs in 30 balls is not a significant challenge. A couple of sixes and fours, and you're there.

Sitting in my living room, my eyes glued to the TV, I could feel a tension running across my body. Team India had played spectacularly in the last ODI World Cup, only to lose the finals against Australia.

Millions of Indian fans were looking forward to this glorious moment — an opportunity to bring home the World Cup after 13 years.

But with South Africa's magnificent batting, this chance, too, felt slowly and painfully fading into the void.

I knew our hopes had been shattered. We were going to lose. Once again.

But what happened next bedazzled me beyond my wildest dreams.

India took control of the match in the last five overs with an incredible bowling spell.

Indian bowlers dismissed player after player and sent them back to the pavilion. With every wicket and dot ball, South Africa's chances of winning kept sinking.

At the end of the total 20 overs, India had won the World Cup.

This was not only one of the best cricket matches I've seen but was also one that rehashed a couple of timeless life lessons in my mind:

1. It isn’t over till it’s over. The outcome of any event results from thousands of tiny, seemingly insignificant moments that can go either way. Heinrich Klaasen was raining down sixes for South Africa. Had he not been dismissed in the 16th over, he would've single-handedly won the match for his team. This one dismissal caused a significant change in the game that tilted the odds in India's favour. What does this mean for you? Don’t get too confident when things are going your way. Don’t give up just yet if you're going through a rough time.
2. Having nerves of steel pays off. Panicking under challenging times is almost certainly a recipe for disaster. Escaping a dire situation is likelier if you can calm your emotions and focus on what you can do to get yourself out of this pit. Even after reaching a point where all seemed lost for India, the team never lost their composure. They didn't panic, focused on their job and bowled their best, ultimately regaining control of the match.
3. The longer the road, the sweeter the reward. Rahul Dravid is one of the finest cricket players in the world. But unfortunately, he couldn't be part of a World Cup winning squad during his playing career. When India won last Saturday, it was the happiest and most ecstatic I've ever seen this man in public. He had waited long enough to taste victory as a player, and now, finally, he hit that mark as a coach. Remember this the next time you're on the verge of giving up on an arduous dream. Keep going because it'll be all worth it in the end.

Thank you, Team India, for this opportunity to etch these lovely memories into our minds and for a masterclass in wisdom.