Last month May the 15th, the sun set a little heavier on my son Suhaan.
It was the Cricket finals. His team was strong, the kind that made opponents nervous. But cricket, like life, doesn’t always follow the script. 1 by 1, wickets fell. The scoreboard barely moved. Suhaan too, didn’t stay for long. He walked back to the dugout with a heavy heart & a heavier thought: “If only I had stayed longer…”
He had left it to others. And it wasn’t enough, the opposition team though weak chased & lifted the trophy.
Suhaan, usually brimming with energy, was utterly dejected. That evening, he sat quietly, disappointment. “One of our main batters should have, I….should’ve stayed longer at the crease,” he said quietly.
“Finals are not one-time opportunities. You will get many more finals to change this" I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. It's not about what went wrong, but what you choose to do next."
“You’ll get many more finals. Learn from this one.”
Two weeks later, fate handed him another shot. Another final: this time a much Stronger opposition: the table toppers. Touger game, even more pressure.
Suhaan walked out to bat at No.4. After a decent start, they’d lost quick wickets & soon he saw even his skipper losing his wicket at the other end.
His team expected fireworks from him as he is known for his aggressive batting style. But he didn’t swing wildly. He didn’t chase glory. The boy known for his flashy strokes surprisingly eschewed the risky shots.  He was focusing only on occupying the crease, rotating strike & on building innings. He defended, he steered, he drove but above all, he stayed. For the first time his scoring shots were only 1s and 2s.
He returned NOT OUT — not with a century, but with resolve.
His calm presence helped the team post a respectable total.
Then came the bowlers. Fired up, focused, & bowled their hearts out. And though the opposing team was strong, they faltered. They chased, they fought, but they couldn't reach the target. Suhaan's team, against the odds, finally won!.
Suhaan didn’t make a century or bowled a winning spell. He may not have been the star on the scoreboard but he did something far greater-he changed the story. He made a small contribution that made a huge difference. Not by brilliance. But by maturity.
And when the team lifted the trophy, Suhaan smiled — not because he was the hero, but because he had done his best. He had learned, he had grown & this time he took the responsibility not leaving it for the other batsmen. He was happy & I stood there as a proud dad.
That’s the thing not just about finals or cricket but about everything in life : the real victory isn’t lifting the trophy, it is stepping in, staying in, & not leaving it for others.
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