In the previous part we saw how idolizing politicians and actors blinds citizens and turns tragedies into stages for their politics. The cycle of glorifying leaders while ignoring accountability has been repeating for decades. The same culture of idolizing exists in another space that touches millions, cricket.
Let’s talk stars. Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are revered as god and King of cricket. Their records are celebrated and their influence is unquestioned. But this adoration shields them from accountability. When matches are lost due to their repeated errors or strategic failures, criticism is muted. The team suffers, the nation suffers, yet the individual continues to be idolized.
India has won only two ODI World Cups in all these years despite being a country obsessed with cricket. This nation has produced extraordinary players, stars who are celebrated as gods, yet the results do not match the worship. This gap is not due to a lack of talent or resources but due to the effect of idolizing.
When a player underperforms in nine matches and shines in one, the nation celebrates that single success while ignoring the failures. Stars are protected with phrases such as “form is temporary, class is permanent” even when those temporary failures cost the country crucial tournaments. Idolizing shields them from accountability, and in the process the team and the nation suffer.
Countries with multiple World Cups follow a different approach. Players are treated as professionals. If performance dips over time they are benched, regardless of their past reputation. Decisions are made for the team, not for preserving an image. In India, once a player is idolized, endless chances follow. Youngsters with talent and hunger are often seen carrying water while established stars continue despite repeated underperformance.
This is the price of idolizing. Tournaments slip away, trophies remain elusive, and yet the focus stays on individuals and personal milestones. The cricket board earns, broadcasters earn, players earn, but fans and citizens lose. Time, money, and collective pride are spent, yet the return is meagre because accountability is sacrificed at the process of worship.
Cricket in India has shifted into a business where fans are no longer participants in a sport but consumers in an industry. Cheering is directed more at individuals than at results. The culture has moved from respect to blind faith, and the fact is blind faith never builds champions.
Until players are seen as professionals first and not as gods, victories will remain a dream and cycles of disappointment will continue. Personal records may rise and endorsements may multiply, but the nation will always fall short of its true potential.
This is what idolizing costs. It is not restricted to cricket alone, but shows a deeper national pattern of worshipping individuals instead of demanding results. And in that blindness of idolizing the people themselves are the ones who suffer.
