Sunrisers, your sun has set to rise again

The Orange Army, SunrisersHyderabad lost the battle in an unprecedented way disappointing millions of their fans. There was frustration, disappointment, pain and anger among the fans. The loss is unbearable for the die-hard fans who felt hurt and cheated. From the time go, it was purple domination. Their spinners and their new ball attack dominated the game. The team that played exceptionally well had won. They were much ahead of their opponents in all parameters. The Kolkata Knight Riders were clinical, professional and invincible. Every individual stepped up at the right time. Hence winning the coveted trophy was no surprise.

The Sunrisers were the most spectacular and consistent batting team. What on earth went wrong on that particular day was beyond any one’s comprehension. The supporters in orange Tees glued to the Television sets and those in the stadium were totally devastated and heartbroken. The only consolation was that in 2023 IPL the SRH was at the bottom, but now runners up, pushing back the stalwarts, the CSK and the MI.

A piece of advice from the loyal buffs of SRH. Stay honest and be open about what went wrong. Question yourself what to do next and pick yourself up and start from where you failed. No excuses, no blame. Everyone will say playing is important not the result but losing the game after giving a tough fight would have been gladly accepted by everyone including the SRH players. Set up a bench mark for each other and raise the bar for each game. A winning culture comes from an impulse to be disciplined warriors.

At this stage self- introspection is very important for the entire team, for the franchise, for the coach and for the mentors. You need to be real warriors when you lose a game of this magnitude. Each individual should question himself whether they had chalked out any special skills and game plans before they entered the arena for the finals. It was obvious that there was no grit and determination displayed and the game was easily let off their hands without displaying the technical, tactical and physical abilities. If you want to win a match you need to be a soldier, a fighter to the core. No excuses, no blame game. Develop a do or die attitude for the next game.

Everyone would say failure is not acceptable. The players will get a dressing down from the coach and you sit and take it. You may shrug and put it as a bad day. But to accept defeat gracefully is what is expected from warriors. Every player should be proud that you reached that place and be a clear minded tight- knit unit. Failure happens but it is more important to get up after that failure. Form, that we hear is a temporary thing in cricket. There are lots of ups and downs. Not getting runs, not able to bowl line and length and being bowl out is just part and parcel of the game. You did not have the form but the class you showed all through is permanent. You will definitely feel low now. The mistakes you made also go through your mind. If you work on that you will get your form back. Need to control your emotions, one wrong step can destroy your career. A great cricketer becomes greater when he conquers the obstacles and learns a new lesson.

Winning and losing are part of life. They are like the toss coin which has heads and tails. Victory switches sides. It comes in cycles. Today’s loser might be a champion tomorrow. Knowing all this we fans crave for win for our favourite team. It actually satisfies our ego. We become the warriors indirectly. When reality sinks in it hurts us. Both winning and losing brings forth extreme emotions. The victor celebrates the loser sulks. Don’t forget that there would not be celebrations for the winner if there is no loser. When someone loses there are enough people to ridicule, criticise and berate the losing team. It is just a matter of time before the tables are turned.

The game needs to be played without being dominated by feelings of honour and shame. The members of SRH while receiving their individual honours displayed great valour. They accepted the defeat gracefully. They appreciated the excellence of the opponents. The team, which played best had won. The day was perfect for KKR and they barely made a mistake. No sun outlasts its sunset but will rise again and bring the dawn.