Mind games on the field

Shahrukh Khan in one of his memorable dialogues in the movie Chak De! India had said “Hamla samne wale team ke goal pe nahi, dimaag pe karo, Field pe goal apne aap ho jaayegi”. The very statement holds a fundamental aspect of every sportsperson’s performance throughout his career. The importance of the “process” of work often takes a backseat with respect to the end result. And to successfully implement the process, a calm and strong mind is required. The history of sports is replete with performances where sheer grit and will power have enabled teams or individuals to overcome their more talented opposition. After all, every match is played more in the mind than on the field.

In this year’s IPL, there have been numerous instances where so many results could have been different only if the teams had been a little more composed when it mattered. Although the photo finishes have excited audiences, some of the results have demoralised the teams. The primary reason for some of these losses is that many individual players tend not to remain in the present moment. Instead, their minds go aflutter in anticipation of a victory which might be a stroke away. But in this excitement, they lose the concentration which immediately shifts the momentum of the match. Thus, victory turns into defeat in the blink of an eye.

The Kolkata Knight Riders in a very early match couldn’t score 2 runs off 2 balls and ended up losing the match. In the last match against the Deccan Chargers, they failed to defend 21 runs off 6 balls and inexplicably ended up losing. The Knights forgot to keep a minimum of 4 players inside the ring and ended up gifting a no-ball which proved the decisive factor in the end. A school-boy type error made the whole team look silly. An impending impatience to win proved inimical to a team that has almost forgotten what victory tastes like. A calm, composed and strong captain is the answer to all such problems.

Rohit Sharma, who is otherwise a very cool customer and was the reason for the Knights’ loss in the last match, did an encore against Kings XI Punjab. But, having taken the team to the doorstep of victory, he fell to a rash shot with his team requiring 4 runs of 4 balls. Panic engulfed the following batsmen and they gifted a victory to Kings XI. The Mumbai Indians too, failed to reach the semis only because they wilted under pressure.

The teams that have done consistently well in this tournament are the ones that have performed well under pressure. Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals have manufactured victories out of nowhere. And it is their charismatic captains who have been instrumental in the victories. It is the captain around which a team revolves. Thus the correct selection of a captain is a pre-condition for the good performance of a team.

Indian cricket has been flourishing consistently of late partly because India is blessed with a captain who is calm and composed, even under pressure. Previously we tended to lose matches that we should have won. Now we win matches that we should have lost. The self belief and confidence comes from a strong performance in critical situations. For that, a strong mind is the pre-requisite.

As the IPL reaches its climax, the team that holds its nerve will emerge triumphant in the end. In the knock-out games, a single moment might be the difference between a victory and a loss. The war would be more in the mind than in the body. The character of every individual in such high voltage situations would determine who emerge victorious. Come 24 May, and we will have the results to highlight this theory. May the best team win?