They were only 11 men.
Eleven men who carried the dreams and expectations of 1.25 billion people, in their hearts and on their shoulders. Eleven men who conquered their opponents and won every battle thus far.
Team India crashed out of the semi-final against New Zealand, ending our dreams of lifting the World Cup. We cried, we mourned. This defeat will weigh on our shoulders for a long time to come. But we need to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship, and we can’t thank our team enough for some priceless moments they delivered, as well as the enthusiastic fans over in England who made for a good viewing experience. We did witness some memorable scenes this world cup which made our campaign worth each minute.
Five Beautiful Centuries By Our ‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma
It’s tough to take a loss when you are performing at your peak. Rohit Sharma, you are our champion.
The Spectacular Dadi!
No one can forget her. The energy and passion Charulata Patel she showed are enough to put most of us to shame, and I’m not just talking about her enthusiasm for cricket, but her personality and her gusto. She is #OldAgeGoals.
Shami’s Hattrick
The first one to get a hat-trick in this year’s Cricket World Cup. This guy clearly knows how to ‘make hay while the sun shines.’ Allegations against the cricketer have come to light, and he has been dropped from a list of contracted players announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Playing With All The ‘Bits And Pieces’
A wicket. a direct hit at the wickets, a catch, a mind-blowing fielding and a spectacular 77 in the semis. Who did it? The ‘bits and pieces‘ player, Sir Jadeja. The next time somebody tries to bring you down, take a leaf out of his book!
The Spirit Of Sportsmanship
When Steve Smith was booed by the Indian fans during India’s match against Australia, Virat Kohli stepped up, told fans present over there to cheer for Smith and also apologised to the Australian cricketer. Cricket truly is a gentleman’s game.
With India fans giving Steve Smith a tough time fielding in the deep, @imVkohli suggested they applaud the Australian instead.
Absolute class ? #SpiritOfCricket #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/mmkLoedxjr
— ICC (@ICC) June 9, 2019
It is easy to criticise someone, sitting in the comforts of your home. We can’t imagine the pressure that our players go through when they underperform and are just an inch away from winning. It just wasn’t their day. Yes, not being able to lift the world cup is a disappointing feeling, but seeing our players shed tears is just as, if not more, heart-breaking.
Rohit Sharma’s centuries were in vain, Shami’s spell couldn’t continue and captain cool didn’t get what he deserved, But I want to thank team India for Virat Kohli’s consecutive 50s, Dhawan’s century, Rohit Sharma’s centuries, Rahul’s century, Shami’s hat-trick, Bumrah’s 18 wickets, Jadeja’s valiance, Shankar’s surprise.
Team India, no matter what anyone says, we know you tried your best. I hope you all find peace in the fact that each and every player gave their all for the game. You may not win ‘Cricket Ka Crown‘, but you earned our respect and won hearts. So when you walk out, hold your heads high and when you land on our soil, keep your heads higher. Kohli is still the best batsman, Bumrah is still the best bowler and Dhoni is still the best finisher. Team India is still the best team in the world. We still love you, even more now.
Thank you for this beautiful journey.
Featured Image Credit: BCCI