It’s been a strange spectacle, isn’t it?
Eleven men in blue who carry the hopes of a billion people on their shoulders, but when they walk the field in the Asian Cup, their behaviour reeks not of victors, but sulking losers. The scoreboard may tell us we’ve won, but the body language, the childish acts, the childish tantrums—tell a very different story.
A winning team doesn’t just win matches; they win respect. Remember cricket being called a “gentleman’s game”? Well, somewhere between the immature on field charades and the shoulder nudges, we seem to have misplaced the gentleman.
And then came the ultimate act of petulance—our players refusing to go up and receive the trophy because the chairman was from Pakistan.
If we were feeling so wretched about facing a Pakistani, then why on earth did we play? After all, whether it’s a game of cricket, a hand of cards, or even gilly-danda in the bylanes, only friends play together.
The very act of agreeing to play should’ve meant we were the bigger people.
Instead, what do we do? We behave like children in a playground fight: “I’ll play with you, but I won’t smile, I won’t shake hands, and I won’t take the trophy if you hand it over.” And the world, other than we Indians, watches in amused disbelief. “These,” they say, “are supposed to be winners?”
Do read the interview of the author by Christianity Today, America’s most widely read Christian mag, with a circulation of over 2.2 million: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/09/india-columnist-robert-clements-christian-writing/
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Now, let’s talk maturity. When we claim we’ve already “won the war” against Pakistan, isn’t that precisely the reason to behave with the quiet disdain of victors? The English, after defeating the Germans in World War II, didn’t keep heckling every German tourist who came to London. They raised their noses with aristocratic poise, poured themselves another cup of Earl Grey, and let the world know—without saying a word—who the winners were.
But us? We prance about like cartoons, flexing our muscles at anyone who will look. And in doing so, we don’t look strong.
We look insecure.
The tragedy is, the world isn’t blind. They see the same petulant antics. The refusal to accept a trophy with grace. And slowly, they start to treat us with the same scorn we dish out. That’s the cruel irony: in trying to show how much we’ve won, we end up looking like those who’ve lost.
Winners don’t need to shout. They don’t need to sulk. They stand tall, smile graciously, and let the scoreboard and the trophy do the talking. Losers, even with medals around their necks, leave people shaking their heads and muttering, “Grow up.”
So, here’s a thought: Grow up, dear fellow Indians. Let’s play our cricket like winners. Walk off the field like winners. Receive our trophy like winners. Because the truth is, if we don’t behave like champions, the world will soon start wondering if we are champions at all.
And that, my dear reader, would be the greatest loss of all…!
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Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.
Unacceptable behaviour from the leadership of the Indian cricket team. You’ve let a nation down! No grace in winning, No humility to receive the trophy and medals.
This is just another example of the low down fascist times we live in. Maybe there is not much we can do except watching the Indian team playing cricket. The whole game and everything surrounding it including the ultra nationalistic commentry teams are and have for a long time been disgusting. Look for heroes who do not debase your own values and make you sick.
Absolutely true 💯. I feel that we are the real losers.
In roaring like lions, we sometimes reveal the fear of mice. A win without grace doesn’t feel like triumph—it feels like insecurity dressed in medals.
True champions let their dignity, not their noise, do the talking.
Oh God! This is prophetic!
If it were not Mohsin Naqvi perhaps the men in blue would have taken the trophy!
I’ll put it this way, “It’s fear of the leadership” whoever it was…, “Will I be there tomorrow, if I don’t follow”….
This raises a very valid and much needed perspective. Victory is not just about the runs on the board or the cup in the cabinet; it is also about dignity, grace, and the way a team conducts itself in front of the world. Sport has always been a unifier, something that transcends boundaries and rivalries. When players reduce it to petty tantrums, they diminish not only their own stature but also the pride of the nation they represent. True champions rise above personal prejudices and political shadows. If our cricketers cannot model that maturity, then their triumphs ring hollow. Respect and sportsmanship must go hand in hand with winning.
What the Men in Blue did was not just about cricket — it was about respecting the dignity of their country and paying tribute to the innocent victims of Pahalgam. Playing the match may have been a “majboori” due to commitments, but accepting a trophy from a bloody Pakistani was neither a majboori nor any rule of the sport.
In cricket, winning the game is the rule. Accepting or refusing a trophy is a matter of choice and self-respect. Our boys showed the world that India’s honour stands above everything else.
And let there be no doubt — Indians are the true Champions. No one can deny this.
Winning with grace and dignity reflects the strength and maturity of champions. We celebrate victories not just by the score, but by the respect we show on and off the field.