Ten lessons from the T10 format applicable to everyone's life

 By K.R. Nayar

The T10 format is not just a mere fast-paced cricket format. A close study will reveal that there are many life lessons to be learned from this format to be successful not only in cricket but in all other sports as well as in one’s personal and professional life

Wayne Parnell who proved through a hat-trick that bowlers are not paid to be hit

The ongoing Alubond Abu Dhabi T10 is one of the many franchise-based cricket leagues being held around the world. However, there are a number of lessons that can be learned from this that we could adopt not only in other sports but in our daily lives as well.

While the fastest cricket format with its ten overs makes it stand out from the rest, there are ten life lessons that we could take away as well from this format.

The first lesson that this format teaches us is to think on our feet quickly, faster than any other format. In this fast-paced modern world that demands quick responses and reactions from everyone in life, we will need to develop these skills in order to be successful.

Second - Starting from the toss, it teaches everyone the facts of life. The general trend in this edition has been to field first if one wins the toss. But what we've seen is that unlike other formats, one bad over can nullify all advantages gained by winning the toss. In the other formats, one bad over does not tilt the balance of a match. But this format shows us how important it is for everyone to keep our focus fixed on our mission in life every day. In today’s situation, one careless day is enough to land us getting infected by Covid-19, isn’t it?.

Toss during the Abu Dhabi T10

Third - In T10, a missed catch can be extremely damaging when compared to other formats. Just like it might be impossible to recover from the impacts of a dropped catch, in life too we must never  let go of any opportunity that comes our way. A batsman who escapes getting caught will then play his shots freely as required by this format. In life too, it is opportunities that we miss that make us regret later and gets the going tough.

Fourth - In cricket, there is a famous saying that “every run saved is a run scored”. In T10, every run saved is a step towards victory. This is because most matches in this format are won off the last ball. This is another takeaway for life in terms of saving money.  Like the runs we let go without preventing them from reaching the boundary, or when a batsman takes a cheeky single, money that is not saved or squandered could lead to financial crises in the future.

Fifth - This is also a format that reminds us of the fact that all our plans can get derailed within seconds. Hence it is always wise to have a counter plan for every situation in life.

Sixth – Compared to other formats, cameo knocks are vital in winning matches.  This a lesson on how important it is in life to put ones hands up in challenging situations. Successful people are those who have shown such courage in life.

Seventh- A big lesson that this format gives us all is to never underestimate anyone, irrespective of whether the other person is unknown or reputed. In this edition, we saw UAE’s Waseem Muhammad, who has never played first class cricket, thrash reputed bowlers to win matches. It teaches us how important it is to respect all opponents and colleagues alike even when we are riding high or highly placed.

Eighth- No target at any stage of the match should threaten us or force us to give up. While in other formats targets may not seem impossible, in T10 it may seem so because of the fewer number of overs. This format teaches us how to go about moving towards the target with a positive attitude. This is a lesson for all those in the sales profession who are often asked to achieve tough targets. T10 teaches us to keep moving towards our target giving one's best to every delivery.

Ninth- The general belief is that in this format bowlers are paid to be hit. T10 has shown that if a bowler can put his heart and soul into his effort, all beliefs can be proved wrong. Wayne Parnell, through a hat-trick in this edition, showed bowlers are not worthless and those with skills and ability can be deadly.

Tenth- The final result of a T10 match is often unpredictable. It is also a life lesson to accept unpredictability as a fact of life and move on stronger by learning from our mistakes.

So while we enjoy the excitement of high-speed cricket, we can also imbibe some life lessons from the T10 format.