This year’s IPL edition is fully underway and this season promises to be full of surprise endings, twists and fan-wars. As a cricket fan, I have always loved this adrenaline-filled Twenty20 tournament. I mean, who does not, am I right? What I love even more is to watch the human mind win over physicality, skills and even natural talent.
There have been so many instances in past IPL seasons, where players have triumphed over moments where they were expected to show weakness on the field. Need I mention the incredible half-century scored by Rishabh Pant just two days after losing his father, or should I remind you about Shane Watson’s century in the IPL 2018 finals after scoring zero runs in the first ten balls against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Who Is Your IPL Mental Health Hero?
In today’s article, I wanted to highlight some of the mental health heroes I have seen absolutely smash it (mentally) on and off the field. I am sure you would recognize many of these guys and the reasons why I included them in the list.
- Virat Kohli
From being criticized for his aggressiveness on the field and losing season after season in the IPL with the Royal Challengers, Virat Kohli has come a long way since he stepped foot into cricket. In recent years, Kohli has demonstrated a well-rounded development into his character, creating a name for himself not only in terms of cricket, but also in terms of fitness, work-life balance and simply, mental resilience.
While there are numerous examples where Kohli has shown us that he is definitely out there to win, and not just to play, one instance which comes to mind is during the 2016 season of the IPL where he managed to win despite being injured.
During a particular dive while fielding, Kohli injured his left hand, and tore his webbing. Crowds were astonished to see the man simply get his webbing taped up and walk back to the field. Kohli not only came out to play again despite all his pain, but batted and scored 54 runs in 45 balls, getting the Royal Challengers in the finals.
- KL Rahul
KL Rahul, often trolled for his slow strike rate, has shut up haters time and time again with his impressive mental chops on the field. One such moment was during the IPL 2020 season when he was captaining for the Kings XI Punjab, now Punjab Kings. Rahul wowed the crowd and set the scoreboard on fire with 132 runs off 69 balls, a record yet to be beaten.
Rahul has also been continuously improving his skills, particularly during powerplays, as seen in the previous IPL season. Perhaps, this year with the Delhi Capitals, KL Rahul fans will be treated to some fireworks on the field by their hero.
- Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle, or as he prefers to be called ‘Universe Boss’, is a well-known face in the IPL, and cannot be forgotten by T20 lovers although he has retired from the game. Gayle is often regarded by cricket-lovers as one of the greatest T20 batsmen of all time.
Gayle went unsold in the 2011 IPL auction, but managed to make a crazy comeback with the Royal Challengers, smashing a century in his first game. Despite hearing nothing but criticism before his appearance on the field, Gayle went out and did what he does best – entertaining the crowd with his batting. Gayle’s mindset can be simply explained in one word, ‘fearless’.
- AB de Villiers
I’m sure you would have expecting this name to come up sooner or later in the list! Here’s another retired mental health hero, who has contributed immensely to the IPL legacy. AB de Villiers, throughout his appearances for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore, proved his leadership skills time and time again. Cricket’s Superman definitely played with a chilled mind, but had enough fire in his belly to win him laurel after laurel.
- Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant is one such cricketer who has managed to ‘wow’ me in this era of the game. Pant has demonstrated that he is here to win and not just to play, and is an absolute breath of fresh air to watch on the field.
Pant faced death in the eye after an almost fatal car accident in December 2022, and his career was almost deemed over with the numerous injuries he suffered, not to mention incredible pressure from social media. However, the 27-year-old did not give up and made a fantastic comeback, making him one of my favorite mental health heroes in the IPL today.
- Suryakumar Yadav
SKY has finally found his moment in Indian cricket after being overlooked for years together. After receiving plenty of criticism about his slow start in the 2023 IPL season, SKY has put together a number of explosive innings. One of his best spectacles was against the Gujarat Lions in 2023. The youngster also experienced health issues last year as a result of a hernia, but did not let that stop him from stunning on the pitch for the Mumbai Indians.
- MS Dhoni
This guy will make enough non-cricket lovers fall in love with this beautiful game. MS Dhoni, or Captain Cool, is one of my favorite cricketers of all time. I don’t know exactly know what mental battles Dhoni goes through on the inside every time he’s in a pickle on the field, but the man has a sure talent to keep his demeanor as cool as a cucumber most of the time. Dhoni does all this with millions of fans screaming his name throughout games. To learn more how you, as an athlete, can protect your sports performance from fans, check this post out.
There’s a sure enough reason why people call him Captain Cool. Dhoni stays calm for the sake of his team and only for this very reason. Players only need to look at his chilled face during a game to instantly feel their tension and melt away.
What Can You Learn From These Players?
All these players had to learn to work on their mental health the hard way or the smart way (which is to work with a Sport Psychologist like moi) in order to become mental health heroes in the IPL. Let me show you a few mental health traits that are common amongst all of them.
- Resilience: All of them have bounced back from setbacks in the game or in their personal lives. Read a bit of their backstories if you know more about this.
- Self-belief: Every one of these players in the list have managed to believe in themselves when no one else was ready to.
- Openness: These players are coachable and trainable to a fault, including even ‘arrogant’ players like Gayle. Openness to learning and changing is one mental health habit all successful people have in common.
- Composure: Not just Captain Cool, but these players in the list have a remarkable skill of maintaining their sense of calm in the middle of a storm.
Conclusion
Every IPL season shows people just how powerful the human mind can actually be. We see many of our heroes exhibiting crazy levels of mental resilience, sometimes against all odds. The next time you’re watching an IPL game, look out for instances of superior mental strength demonstrated by the players, whether they play for your favorite team, or whether they play for your opponents.
If you like this post and have any questions/comments, drop them at mindyourwicket@gmail.com
References
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10798595/
https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000910
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