Aspiring cricketer’s suicide sends a stark warning

By K.R. Nayar

A 17-year-old aspiring female cricketer, Aditi Moreshwar Chaukhande, committed suicide in Nagpur, India, on July 30, 2026, expressing severe distress and disappointment over failing to be selected for a higher-level Vidarbha Cricket Association team. This incident must be closely examined and not written off as a one-off incident. 

Aditi was undergoing intensive cricket training, wanting to pursue a professional cricket career. Her brother is also a cricketer, and she left behind a note saying: “I could not get selected, but you have been selected. Play well, and I will always be with you throughout your life.”

Today, the disappointment of not getting selected cuts deeper than ever before. Cricket is no longer just a sport played for joy—it is a career, a livelihood, a dream packaged with expectations. When youngsters, along with their parents, choose this path, selection becomes everything. Many aspire to break into lucrative franchise leagues that promise instant fame and financial success. But what is often forgotten is that behind every success story are thousands of untold rejections.

Youngsters seem to be cracking up under pressure today, especially when they face setbacks in exams or sports. Dreams should inspire and not suffocate people. However, along with soaring dreams come pressure. That is the reality of today’s competitive world. And this is where guidance becomes crucial. Youngsters must be taught not just how to win, but how to accept losses as well. It is not just knowing how to rise, but how to rise again after a fall.

History is filled with legends who were once rejected. Unfortunately for most youngsters today, reading is a long-lost habit.  A 14-year-old Sachin Tendulkar missed out on the Bombay Cricket Association’s Junior Cricketer of the Year award in 1986–87. Sunil Gavaskar wrote to console him, reminding him that he too had missed that award but had gone “on to do not-so-badly in Tests.” That gentle reassurance became a powerful lesson—your path is bigger than one recognition.

It is time every youngster is constantly reminded that an examination or a selection is only an event, not an end. Life is a journey where setbacks are a part of it. Every young mind should be prepared well for one certainty in sports or life, and that is rejection. Had Sanju Samson given up after being ignored from the playing eleven for all the matches in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, would he have become the Player of the tournament in the 2026 edition? It is his resilience that keeps him going.

Teaching mental strength is as important as learning the skills of the game. Good coaches are those who mould youngsters into mentally strong players. It has to be drilled into every youngster that not getting selected is not failure; it is an opportunity to sharpen skills further. Not being selected is not the end, and not making the list is just a pause, not a full stop.

Millions play cricket in India; only a few reach the Indian Premier League teams or the Indian team. Sometimes, a player may not get selected not due to lack of skill, at other times it may be due to team balance. But what every youngster should remember is that talent is permanent; selection is temporary. Why not see rejection as preparation for a bigger and greater tomorrow? There is a famous saying: “Let rejection refine you, not define you.”

When rejected, it is important not to doubt oneself. Hit those doubts for a six and clean-bowl the disappointment after being rejected. Many believe that fitness is only about shaping the body and making it stronger, but it is equally important to sharpen one’s resilience. Coaches should share not just stories of glory but also of rejection. Teach them that success and failure are two sides of a coin. Great champions may have flipped it many times.

Parents need to constantly tell their children, “We are proud of you, selected or not.” During Tendulkar’s interaction with the media right after his retirement, responding to my question on his parents’ support during his career, he said: “The beauty of my family is that they never lost balance. Whether I scored a 100 or 15 or 20, it did not matter. My father and mother always had encouraging words for me. I was able to perform well since my school days because the balance was maintained at home.”

Let Aditi’s suicide not be seen as just another act by a disappointed youngster. It is important to chase a dream but never lose yourself in the process. 

During the recent Mother Teresa Award event in Kolkata, among the many Mother Teresa’s quotes that were displayed, there was one that stayed with me: “Life is a game. Play it.”  Every youngster must play it knowing that every setback is a setup for a stronger comeback.