It’s interesting to see how the masses become preoccupied with cricket every time a match is in progress. It wouldn’t be wrong to claim that people eat, walk, and sleep cricket in India.
Although we might suppose the phenomenon is restricted to our country alone, a further look into the statistics indicates that cricket occupies the second slot in popularity, after soccer, worldwide. Aside from being the center of attention of nearly two billion people worldwide, cricket also constitutes the favorite pastime of over a hundred million people.
However, despite its unrivaled popularity over the years, the sport still eludes many of us who consider it a waste of time or merely a source of entertainment, which further requires us to have a closer look into its unexplored merits.
1. Concentration
Playing cricket is not just about randomly using a bat to hit the ball. It requires great skill to do so, one of them being the power of concentration. Whether it’s bowling or batting, you have to focus all the time, which further intensifies your attention, resulting in better engagement in activities outside of the sport.
2. Cognitive abilities
Cricket also helps you develop cognitive skills since you have to be clear about what you want to achieve and plan accordingly. Then, you work on your tactics, for instance, deciding which batters should play first and how to place a bowler to tackle a particular batter. It’s like a battle where you weigh every move.
Whether playing real cricket or indulging in online fantasy cricket, both have the ability to improve your cognitive skills immensely. Similar to real-life cricket, playing fantasy cricket on your phone will also improve your reasoning skills and logical thinking.
3. Involves strategy
Winning in cricket is all about strategic thinking. You might have great players, but if you don’t gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team, you might fail. At times, you might need to be cleverer. Other times, you may need to make use of sheer force. Playing fantasy cricket also involves making a lot of strategies. It is not easy to create a team without strategizing which players work best for you and which ones don’t.
4. Tackling problems
Cricket involves developing problem-solving skills. Especially when it’s a test match, many situations arise that may entail short-term and long-term thinking. Under such circumstances, you have to have the ability to improvise and make quick decisions, which is why it goes a long way in developing mental agility.
5. Develops courage
Players especially need to be brave in the face of adversity. A player experiences lows and highs during the match, which requires you to be courageous even when things are not looking that good. A brave attitude helps you persevere, resulting in an eventual victory.
6. Leadership abilities
The sport also benefits by developing and enhancing leadership skills since if you become the captain, you have to act as a motivator and planner. In addition, you have to tap into the potential of your team members, so it works to the advantage of your team.
7. Imparts confidence
The sport is instrumental in imparting confidence since it’s all about setting goals and achieving them. Moreover, the contest is a constant struggle between two teams to defeat each other. For that, you need to be both confident about your abilities and optimistic. Thus, it acts as a self-doubt repellent and trains you to have greater faith in your abilities.
