If you are feeling depressed, just watch this 15 year old on your TV! Your blues will fly away, exclaims Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Towards the fag end of last year's Indian Premier League, a new star seems to have risen on Indian cricket's horizon, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
A mere 14-year-old lad from Bihar set the IPL on fire with his swashbuckling and fearless batting.
In the under 19 World Cup, he with an innings of 175 runs, single handedly won the tournament for India.
There were many who were initially sceptical but now acknowledge that a new star is indeed born on the cricket horizon.
His exploits in the 2026 IPL after celebrating his 15th birthday has confirmed that 2025 was no flash in pan.
Vaibhav is not an exception, IPL and its system of scouting for talent has unearthed many such gems. They come from humble backgrounds and have achieved fame and fortune based on sheer talent and hard work.
This sets an interesting chain of thought about the objectivity of the whole process vis a vis other fields.
In India, three of the most lucrative careers are cricket, Bollywood and politics.
Virtually every son/daughter tries to follow their parents' profession in these three areas.
Neither in cricket nor in Bollywood do the 'dynasts' have a high rate of success.
In cricket, the great Sunil Gavaskar's son Rohan failed to make a mark and so it seems Arjun, Sachin Tendulkar's son.
In the film industry as well sons of legends like Dev Anand, Nutan or Jeetendra have failed to make a mark the way their parents did. But in politics the success rate of the dynasts is 100%.
We have the famous dynasty in Delhi with a succession of prime ministers. But that is not all. Right from Dilli to Galli, our democracy has become the playground of dynastic succession.
Readers will agree that even at the local corporator level in municipal corporations to the panchayats in villages, it is the same story.
The reason why cricket and Bollywood has been immune to the disease of dynastic succession is the clear definition of success and neutral market forces.
Ironically, the so-called anti-defection law has had the unintended consequence of giving power to the unelected heads of political parties, who maintain control by controlling the purse strings.
The only exception to this has been the two ideologically driven parties to the Right and Left.
With money power comes control of party and media. Is it any wonder that while India excels in the field of entertainment and he soft power of Bollywood and is the undoubted king of cricket, we fail when it comes to politics and governance.
The rise of cricketers as well as artistes is a truly secular phenomenon. Here neither caste nor religion is an issue and merit is the sole criterion.
It is worthwhile to study and copy the talent hunt system of cricket and apply it to other walks of life like academics or other sports.
The rise to stardom of sportsmen and women from hitherto 'backward' areas is really heartwarming and bodes well for India's future.
People like me born in the 1940s had seen how at one time the entire cricket team used to consist of players from big cities.
Young Cricketer Sparks Development Debate
I recall a conversation with the late American strategic expert Stephen Cohen.
Both the late General Eric Vas and I disagreed with Cohen and felt that till such time that UP and Bihar do not rise, India cannot.
Sportspersons from Bihar, Vaibhav's home state, shining on the international stage gives hope that the so-called black holes of India are no longer so.
Many of us used to feel that unless the states in Gangatic belt rise, India cannot become a developed state.
The rise of the Vaibhavs of this world gives hope that no longer will these states be conned by dynasts who had a vested interest in keeping people poor and dependant.
Maybe I am reading too much into the rise of a cricketer... But at a time when one is deluged by bad news, this is one news that cheers you.
If you are feeling depressed, just watch this 15 year old on your TV! Your blues will fly away.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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