A shared moment
A story of experiencing the joy of watching RCB win the IPL, through others
Hi,
It's been a while since the IPL Finals got over, but I've been thinking about that moment for a while now.
John Green introduced me to a quote about football by the Pope, St. John Paul II. I'm paraphrasing the quote here: Out of all the unimportant things in the world, sports is the most important.
I am not a fan of cricket, but the story of RCB and being able to witness the win at my home, amidst a group of strangers and friends - was unforgettable.
I wrote about the joy I felt when I saw the RCB fans around me experience the victory. A moment shared. A moment to revisit.
I.
It starts with a bad day.
I have been caught up with work. There are deadlines. Emails to send. Messages to respond to. An annoying list to get through. Piled up deliverables to complete.
This is normal for any working adult. But on this day, the ordinary feels unending.
I haven’t had a chance to take a break. I’m making mistakes. I’m frustrated with myself.
Not to mention, my friends and I are hosting a watch party. To watch the IPL Finals.
I haven’t had a chance to help much today and I don’t want to be the guy who is on the laptop while everyone around is showing up to have a good time. That’s just being a bad host.
And yet, here I am.
I am staring at my screen. Typing away emails.
It looks like the day is heading towards a bad ending as well.
II.
"Let's organise a watch party"
My friend, who has never wanted to or has been willing to host more than 4 people at a time, goes out of his way to suggest organising a gathering with as many people as we can.
The home I live in now, does not consist of people who have the dynamism or energy levels to meaningfully engage with a large gathering. Let alone allow for different worlds of people colliding.
But, how can you say no to the passion of an RCB fan, who is one match close to seeing an 18-year old dream come true.
More importantly, how can you not support the friend who has gone out of his way to pick up Canva and design the RSVP Invite.
Sports is a rather amusing experience. You will deeply believe and do things you otherwise wouldn’t even consider during an ordinary day.
We changed our minds about hosting a party.
My friend decided to become a graphic designer.
The most designing he's done is formatting tables on a word document.
But he is a quintessential RCB fan. This is the IPL Finals. There is nothing ordinary or normal about this experience.
III.
In case you haven’t noticed, my friends are fans of RCB.
I am not.
I don’t even like cricket. I don’t follow the IPL. Apart from Virat Kohli, I don’t know anyone else in RCB. Nor do I know of their cricketing prowess. I found out RCB was in the semi-finals, on the day of the semis. So, the consequence of this match shouldn’t matter to me. I don’t have stakes. There is nothing about this match that I should objectively care about.
But, I often think about this quote from Beartown by Fredrik Backman (a trilogy where Ice Hockey is a central theme).
“Why does anyone care about hockey?
Because it tells stories.”
I love sports.
More specifically, I love stories of sports.
I am from this city. I have witnessed the frenzy in Chinnaswamy Stadium. I have seen players on screen, and my friends off-screen experience the heartbreak of being there, but not quite. Year after year. An achievable goal that remained elusive.
I am not a fan of cricket.
But I am surrounded by people whose lives have intertwined with RCB. They experience the joys and sorrows of this team together. Most of my life, I have observed this.
It is then, hard to not get caught up in that same passion.
IV.
I have wrapped up work as the 2nd innings starts.
I can finally hangout properly with the people who came over. We’re all watching. The match isn't exactly in a comfortable position. The tension is palpable. People are calculating, planning and strategizing the best bowling attack to save the game.
Soon, a couple of wickets fall. This shifts the mood entirely. The nervousness has washed away. The room is now filled with excitement. With every ball, it gets better. The team is slowly inching towards victory.
But no one has relaxed yet. Even though the probability of RCB losing at this stage in the match is near 0. We know that anything can happen. This has happened in the past too.
You’re only through, when you’re actually through.
And then it happens.
The last ball is bowled.
Virat Kohli is on his knees. Emotional.
RCB is through.
Finally.
V.
Like I said earlier, I am not a fan of cricket or IPL. I don’t even remember each and every ball of the 2nd innings. I shouldn’t care much about the outcome of this game.
But, can I really be nonchalant about this? Can I really put up a stoic face about this match? Can I really say that I don’t care about the outcome of this game?
When the truth is that, I am forever going to remember this particular date - not as a bad day. But one where I shared so much joy with a gathering of people.
I may not remember the innings specifically, but I could see the bliss and joy on the faces of people around me. I could feel their happiness. I could see how much it meant to them. When you see a gathering of people so deeply invested in the journey of RCB, and you witness history being made – it is hard to not let that joy seep into you. You can’t help but care.
Sports can evoke reactions you wouldn’t even know.
There is another quote from the Beartown Trilogy I have been thinking about:
"The only thing the sport gives us are moments. But what the hell is life, Peter, apart from moments?”
When you follow stories around sports, you will find a lot of moments that give you solace and strength to get through the day.
The story of RCB is one of them. I am enthralled by the story of RCB and its fans. The winning sequence is one those moments to find solace in.
This story starts with a bad day. It doesn’t end that way.
I found so much joy in seeing those around me feel the exhilaration of winning the title.
We shared this moment together.
And it is a moment that I will keep revisiting.
That’s it.
Let me know what you think !
What are your favourite sport moments that you witnessed live?
Take care,
Nirmal Bhansali
Great Post, Nirmal! Loved reading it!