Why Cricket? 7 Reasons Why!

I first started playing professional cricket when I was 15 years old. Quite a late start, thanks to a childhood filled with medications and inhalers, hospital visits and breathlessness.

Since then, I haven't stopped playing despite my immediate people not supporting or liking me playing the game. Throughout this time, 2 things remained constant:

1. My love for the game.
2. A question from almost everyone I know - "Why cricket? Why do you love it so much?"

And in this edition of WideBallFreeHit, I'll try to answer that question.

1. A Never-ending Excitement

I'm 27 now. For almost 25 years, cricket was the only thing that excited me every single time - whether I was in practice or playing a match or just listening to the footsteps of a bowler and the ping of the bat while walking on the road. I said 'was' not because it doesn't excite me anymore but because I found a new passion in content creation (a story for some other time).

Every other thing I tried - be it an instrument or the 5 different jobs, for example - never quite impacted me the way this game has. Even though I loved every role I took up so far, including my current one (Social Media Marketing), there was never a point where I felt like I could not live without this. Cricket was that to me.

2. Blurry yet Focused

Throughout the past 12 years, I've spent time on the field, while I observed many changes in me - physically, mentally and emotionally - because of the game, the one observation that stood out more than anything else is my mind before stepping on the field and after.

As much as I complain about the problems in my life, once I step into the field, it's almost as if I entered a vortex; a bubble that blurs out everything that's happening in my life. All the tensions, the external stresses, vanish. Life becomes focused yet simple. Blurry and still focused!

3. My Addiction; The Only One

I've never smoked, drank (until this Feb as I was in rehab) or did drugs of any kind. The number of people who have tried making me and failed is a lot. And they always ask, "Why?". I'd give them a one-word answer. "Cricket". And while they think it's me being stubborn, for me, it's me being loyal and dedicated to the game.

I've always wanted to smoke. Drink. Get high. But my passion for the game never let me. Besides, who needs these when you are already flying!

4. I'm Nowhere Else

A bit of a resemblance to pt 2 but what I want to highlight here is not how it blurs out my tensions but rather how playing the game is one of those few things that lets me live my moment to the fullest. I hope the difference made sense :)

When I'm at the top of my run-up holding that red cherry and feeling the grip as I roll my fingertips over it or when I'm holding the grip of the bat waiting for the bowler to release the ball and watching it till the last moment while deciding mentally what shot to play - moments where I live to the fullest, moments I carry with me forever. When I'm on the field, I'm nowhere else!

5. Everything I am, and Everything I am not

I'll let a video describe this section:

6. A Rejuvenation

In short, cricket brought me out of numerous depressions, helped me cope with my life situations, gave me hope after many rejections (personal and professional) and most importantly, ensured I found myself when I was lost and loved myself again when love made me feel lonely.

7. Cricket was ALWAYS the Dream

Ever since I saw Sachin Tendulkar on the TV screen cover driving a ball when I was two years old (At 2yrs, I remember watching this shot and that stayed in my head since then, hence I could recognise the shot as a cover drive and the person as Sachin), I wanted to do this more than anything else.

You ask me what I am good at, I'll answer you, even in my sleep, that for the most part of my life, cricket was the only thing I was good at, excelled at, and felt truly passionate about. My first love. My calling. My happy place.

So Sreekar, why cricket?

I just can't explain. It just is. And it's a beautiful feeling.

As always, if you liked what you read, do share this edition with your network.

I am always open to feedback, learning, relearning and unlearning. Thank you for taking the time to read my Newsletter, WideBallFreeHit - Be Confident in Being Different!

All Love. No Hate.