I still remember the day India lifted the World Cup after 28 years. We danced through the night, cheering our men in blue. The year was 2011 – chants of “India, India”, could be heard across the street. We thumped our chests with pride and the whole world stood witness as Indian fans celebrated their victory.
I thought nothing could waiver our support for the team, but I was proven wrong every time they lost an important game. Sunday’s loss to Pakistan in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy was no different.
As soon as Bumrah’s wicket fell, I knew what would follow – chants of “ Team India Zindabad” were replaced with “Team India haye-haye”; local police forces had to be deployed outside cricketers’ houses to protect against backlash from fans; and of course, reports of effigy burning started flowing in from various parts of the country.
I am a fan of the Indian cricket team... and not just a mere supporter, I feel very much a part of the team. Like any other fan would, I want them to win every time they step onto the field.
I want Virat Kohli, my favourite player, to score in every single game – and to my joy, he does, (after all, he is the run machine right!)
But no matter how many runs he scores, at the end of the day he is human, not a machine. And humans fail – we all have and we all will.
Imagine one day you didn’t perform so well at your place of work, and people around you reacted in the same frenzied fashion – burned effigies, pelted your home, subjected you to public shame. Scary, right?
Every one supports the winning side, but a fan supports the team, whether it wins or loses.
A true fan will never leave their team’s side. So, how you react to the Indian team’s loss is you discretion. But if you decide to spread hate against the team, you are not a fan but a mere viewer!
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)