Enjoying cricket

Presently, Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches are underway, with 10 teams competing in the tournament. Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties and, depending on the changing situations and dramatic turnarounds in the match, we become sometimes cheerful and elated and at times anxious, frustrated and tense.

Is it possible to remain free from tension while watching sports? Stress arises when we take sides - invest emotionally in a team or a player and expect a particular outcome. We watch the game hoping for a win for our team or success for our favourite player. This attachment creates pressure and, as a result, we miss out on enjoying the finer aspects of the game - its subtleties and beauty. Moreover, such stress can have an adverse effect on our well-being.

However, when we watch the match with a neutral attitude, simply witnessing the play as it unfolds, we are no longer disturbed by uncertainties of the game. Freed from the pressure of expectations, cricket transforms into a joyful celebration of skill, teamwork, strategy and the true spirit of sport.


Much like a cricket match, life, too, is a game - a lila. Self-interest, endless demands, and attachment to people, status, money and events give rise to stress and worry in our lives. Witnessing life's events with detachment is the key that frees us from anxiety and tension, thus contributing to a peaceful life and richer experience of being.