Life Beyond Cricket: A Tale of Growing Up

this time 50 overs ODI Worldcup happening in India, but the excitement and buzz around it are not as strong as they were during the 2011 World Cup.

? ? ? One possible reason for this is that we've grown older and now have more responsibilities in our lives alongside our love for cricket. While we still enjoy watching cricket, it has taken a back seat to the challenges and complexities of life. The noise and celebration related to cricket are still there, but perhaps the noise of our life's problems is even louder than our enthusiasm for cricket. Finding time to watch cricket matches has become more difficult.

The 14-year-old who watched the 2011 World Cup is now 26 years old and is busy with things like studying, family, work, and responsibilities. Although they still want to watch live cricket matches, they often end up just checking the scorecard on cricket websites. On days when there is a cricket match, other responsibilities, like work calls from the boss, can get in the way of watching the game.

It's understood that the World Cup still creates excitement, but we may not show it as openly as before. Now, whether we win or lose in cricket, we find happiness in other aspects of life. Life has its own set of challenges, and if we let cricket's ups and downs affect us too much, other problems remind us that we need to focus on them too, saying, "Hey, we have bigger things to deal with in life. Cricket matches come and go."

What made the 2011 World Cup special

It was primarily one man, the great Sachin Tendulkar who made that tournament so special . It was widely believed that this would be his last World Cup, and he had revolutionized cricket in India, so everyone fervently wished for India's victory, and eventually, we emerged as champions. Even as kids, we were filled with excitement, creating cards for Sachin and engaging in various activities to show our support.

The same level of excitement is present this year, but it's somewhat subdued due to the additional responsibilities we've shouldered. Back in 2011, I was in the tenth grade, and now I'm 26 years old, actively seeking a life partner for marriage, working tirelessly in the corporate world with numerous responsibilities. During those days, the only pressure we faced was related to our studies, and even for cricket, we skipped classes. And yes, we emerged victorious that year; it holds a special place in our hearts.

As the 2023 World Cup is about to begin within a few hours, we'll all be eagerly checking the Cricbuzz scores, and at the very least, we can send out a tweet related to the scores if we can't watch it on TV. I'm sending my best wishes to Team India. I genuinely hope they bring home that trophy. Dear Team India, I want to extend my heartfelt best wishes to you for the tournament. I have high expectations for you to clinch the trophy, but I can't express how heartbroken it feels when we lose in the semifinals. There are so many challenges, my friends. Please win that World Cup trophy and keep the troubles at bay. Don't break my heart. And even if it does break, rest assured, we will pick ourselves up, support you silently, and continue to stand by you, much like a devoted lover.

REGARDS

NEHA