Indian cricket, always a spectator sport, has undergone a massive transformation over the last couple of decades. In the 1990s, spectators and fans were aggressive, but they too sensed ‘fear’ once everyone’s favourite hero Sachin Tendulkar was back in the hut. This fear was reflected in the Indian cricket team on several occasions, when they fell apart like a house of cards after Sachin’s wicket. The Indian cricket team used to receive either loads of love or criticism (hate) from Indian cricket followers everywhere. This ‘hate’ made them ‘fear’ the prospect of a loss even more. And more often than not, when players play with ‘fear’, the desired results are not always achievable. Those were the days when everyone admired the ‘fearless’ and ‘aggressive’ attitude of the Aussies. Australian cricketers have remained the same over the years, but young Indian cricketers have now developed an aggression that helps bring out their ‘A’ game on the pitch.
A prime example is current Indian sensation Virat Kohli, who is so aggressive and fearless that you could well mistake him for an Australian player, going by his fierce game! He wears his heart on his sleeve, and you need not look anywhere else to know India’s fate in a cricket match, as his face emotes it all. He is always in the face of the opposition – sledging not only with the opposition, but, also with the opposition’s home crowd (while playing an away game). There is a feeling of hatred in him, and it is not towards anyone in particular, but towards ‘losing’ or ‘underperforming’. The good part is that he stays focussed and determined amidst all this aggression, and that is evident in his superlative innings in recent years for Team India. The love that Virat Kohli receives from all his fans has helped him to rise continuously, while the hate and criticism for his aggressive behaviour has only challenged him to perform better, every time he wears his Indian jersey and proudly walks to the pitch. After all, love keeps him interested but the hate keeps him invested in his game!
This amalgamation of love and hate made Virat Kohli play a masterclass match on March 19, 2016, and this handed India a crucial win against arch-rivals Pakistan. The moment of the match was the way he signed off this special innings (after his half-century) with a ‘bow’ to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who was cheering him on from the stands.
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Team India’s aggression or fearlessness does not stop at Kohli – other players like Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah are known for their aggressive behaviour on the field, whilst performing exceedingly well for India. The Indian side is blessed to be led by a captain like MS Dhoni, who may not be the ‘in your face’ aggressor, but is as fearless as anyone in world cricket! This ‘fearless’ and ‘hate to lose’ attitude of Indians even in the face of defeat has enabled our cricket team to snatch several wins from the jaws of defeat in recent years. For example, India won the Champions Trophy final in 2012 against England in their own den, when everything seemed lost in a truncated game; it was the bowlers led by Ishant Sharma who brought us back into play.
More importantly, Team India has remained fearless even in adversity, and has come back solidly despite being in a total mess in tough overseas tours. A recent case in point was the Australian tour earlier this year (2016), when we lost 4 ODIs on the trot. Yet, we won the final ODI chasing a score in excess of 330 against the mighty Aussies. Our talented cricketers followed it up with a clean sweep of 3-0 in the T20 matches. They didn’t get bogged down by the earlier losses, and in fact, took it as a major challenge to get up and ‘give it back’ when it seemed that everything was lost. That’s the hallmark of a champion team, and champion players.
This attitude is exactly what we expect to see from the Indian cricket team in the on-going Twenty20 Cricket World Cup 2016. Nothing would delight the Indian fans more than watching a fearless Dhoni lift the World T20 Cup on the night of April 3, 2016, at the jam packed Eden Gardens stadium. To quote onscreen fighting legend Rocky Balboa: “It’s all about how much you can get hit, and keep moving forward – that’s how WINNING is done”! To their credit, the Indian side has taken many hits but has bounced back more fearsome than ever.
The new breed of Indian players is perfecting the art of translating aggression into winning habits. Their ‘love’ for cricket fuels their passion, while the feeling of ‘hate’ (towards losing a game) is the driver of all their performances. The players now understand the fickle nature of Indian cricket fans, and realised the importance of using their love (after a win) and their hate (after a loss) to continue rising upwards. Both ‘love’ and ‘hate’ co-exist, but at the end of the day, it is only the game that matters.
Virat Kohli exudes equal parts of menace and the promise of victory against all odds. Being loved and loathed in equal measure during his initial playing days, this current superstar of Indian cricket has risen above it all and made it to the big league. There couldn’t have been a better ambassador for the #FeelLoveUseHate campaign, as depicted in this video .
A prime example is current Indian sensation Virat Kohli, who is so aggressive and fearless that you could well mistake him for an Australian player, going by his fierce game! He wears his heart on his sleeve, and you need not look anywhere else to know India’s fate in a cricket match, as his face emotes it all. He is always in the face of the opposition – sledging not only with the opposition, but, also with the opposition’s home crowd (while playing an away game). There is a feeling of hatred in him, and it is not towards anyone in particular, but towards ‘losing’ or ‘underperforming’. The good part is that he stays focussed and determined amidst all this aggression, and that is evident in his superlative innings in recent years for Team India. The love that Virat Kohli receives from all his fans has helped him to rise continuously, while the hate and criticism for his aggressive behaviour has only challenged him to perform better, every time he wears his Indian jersey and proudly walks to the pitch. After all, love keeps him interested but the hate keeps him invested in his game!
This amalgamation of love and hate made Virat Kohli play a masterclass match on March 19, 2016, and this handed India a crucial win against arch-rivals Pakistan. The moment of the match was the way he signed off this special innings (after his half-century) with a ‘bow’ to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who was cheering him on from the stands.
Team India’s aggression or fearlessness does not stop at Kohli – other players like Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah are known for their aggressive behaviour on the field, whilst performing exceedingly well for India. The Indian side is blessed to be led by a captain like MS Dhoni, who may not be the ‘in your face’ aggressor, but is as fearless as anyone in world cricket! This ‘fearless’ and ‘hate to lose’ attitude of Indians even in the face of defeat has enabled our cricket team to snatch several wins from the jaws of defeat in recent years. For example, India won the Champions Trophy final in 2012 against England in their own den, when everything seemed lost in a truncated game; it was the bowlers led by Ishant Sharma who brought us back into play.
More importantly, Team India has remained fearless even in adversity, and has come back solidly despite being in a total mess in tough overseas tours. A recent case in point was the Australian tour earlier this year (2016), when we lost 4 ODIs on the trot. Yet, we won the final ODI chasing a score in excess of 330 against the mighty Aussies. Our talented cricketers followed it up with a clean sweep of 3-0 in the T20 matches. They didn’t get bogged down by the earlier losses, and in fact, took it as a major challenge to get up and ‘give it back’ when it seemed that everything was lost. That’s the hallmark of a champion team, and champion players.
This attitude is exactly what we expect to see from the Indian cricket team in the on-going Twenty20 Cricket World Cup 2016. Nothing would delight the Indian fans more than watching a fearless Dhoni lift the World T20 Cup on the night of April 3, 2016, at the jam packed Eden Gardens stadium. To quote onscreen fighting legend Rocky Balboa: “It’s all about how much you can get hit, and keep moving forward – that’s how WINNING is done”! To their credit, the Indian side has taken many hits but has bounced back more fearsome than ever.
The new breed of Indian players is perfecting the art of translating aggression into winning habits. Their ‘love’ for cricket fuels their passion, while the feeling of ‘hate’ (towards losing a game) is the driver of all their performances. The players now understand the fickle nature of Indian cricket fans, and realised the importance of using their love (after a win) and their hate (after a loss) to continue rising upwards. Both ‘love’ and ‘hate’ co-exist, but at the end of the day, it is only the game that matters.
Virat Kohli exudes equal parts of menace and the promise of victory against all odds. Being loved and loathed in equal measure during his initial playing days, this current superstar of Indian cricket has risen above it all and made it to the big league. There couldn’t have been a better ambassador for the #FeelLoveUseHate campaign, as depicted in this video .