We’re trying to do our best amid Covid crisis
We, as IPL players, are not so cut off inside our respective biobubbles that we are unaware of what is going on in the wider world outside. I have been following the debate about playing cricket during the pandemic, and I feel that opinions on both sides of the argument must be respected. So, those who are saying that IPL should not be played during the latest surge of coronavirus cases in our country—i respect your point of view. But like you, I have an opinion too: I very strongly believe the tournament must go on, because I sincerely feel that it is bringing joy to many millions of Indians during the bleakest of times.
If our purpose this season is to be a positive diversion to those watching, then so be it. Before every match this season we have gotten into a huddle as a team and spoken about the situation outside and what our purpose is as cricketers. That has helped make our cause, if you want to call it that, much clearer: entertain those sitting at home in India and put a smile on their faces before they go to sleep. It really is as simple as that.
I am also very proud that my franchise donated towards Covid relief in the country (Rajasthan Royals became the first franchise to do so, donating a sum of ₹7.5cr); it was the least we at Rajasthan Royals could do. But apart from just money, RR is also involved in many social initiatives to lend a helping hand in these very tough times. See, we are in a position of great privilege to be allowed to do what we love most while much of the country cannot do the same. Such privilege must always be used to contribute to society, and
I am glad we are doing that not only as entertainers.
I know exactly how lucky I am to be playing professional cricket in 2021, and that understanding helps me not hate being inside the bio-bubble. All I have to do is look at my friends and family back home and see how difficult being in the real world has been for them. Like everywhere else in the country, a lot of them too have tested positive and I worry about them. No such worries inside our IPL bubbles – here we are safe and are being tested often. So, because I look at it in such a manner, the fatigue of the bubble is easy to deal with.
But no two people are the same and I respect Andrew Tye’s decision to go back home (RR’S Tye was the first of three Aussies to exit the IPL before Australia’s ban on flights from India took effect). Sometimes we forget that cricketers are human beings as well, and we need to put an arm around those who are finding the situation difficult to cope with. All they want is a sense of normality. I am only 26 years old and am not prone to giving advice to anyone beyond a cricket field, but I will say this: if things have to go back to normal for everyone then each one of us has to take the basic precautions of wearing masks, sanitising often and getting vaccinated when it’s our turn.
“Normal”. Because I am a cricketer, normal for me is a stadium packed with loud fans. Man, do I really miss playing in front of thousands of cheering spectators or what. Ask any cricketer and they will tell you the same. The energy that Indian fans give us is simply unbelievable. But what is most unfortunate is that we are now getting used to playing without that noise and support. We are getting rather used to playing behind closed doors. To the point that when I hit a six now, or crack a boundary through the off, I don’t even realise that what has followed that shot is just silence. It has started to feel normal, when it is far from anything close to normal. But that’s just how it feels now.