SKY is an Illusion

While Indians are busy rejoicing Pakistan's loss to Zimbabwe, Suryakumar Yadav walked away with yet another Player of the match award. But the stunning fact is SKY, like "Sky" is an illusion.

Yet again tonight, Rahul prodded around, Rohit loitered and Kohli labored. Then arrived SKY. Or did he ? The sky was overcast but SKY wasn't. SKY was as bright and blue as SKY. Suddenly it rubbed on Kohli and there was Sunshine. We didn't notice and before that, SKY hit the last ball of the innings to bring up yet another fifty with a strike rate in excess of 200.

We can see sky but we cannot catch the sky. Ditto with SKY. Bowlers and fielders seldom get to catch him. SKY doesn't play to the galleries. The galleries plead with him to grace them and the spectators become gleeful fielders.

Other players hit the ball. SKY imposes himself on it. Others time the ball. He whispers into the ears of the ball in the last moment as to which direction to be taken. SKY is an Architect. He measures the distance between two fielders and then sends the ball between them inversely proportional to their respective speeds. The ball attains thrill in beating both the fielders to the ropes. No wonder he's been an Architect of many an Indian wins in a short period.

There were 360° players before Surya. The difference is in the bat. Others turn 360° within the crease to produce their shots around the oval. Others use a bat. SKY wields a magic wand that turns 360° thanks to a pair of magic wrists. Bowlers seldom feel bad by the SKYscrapers he creates on the bowling charts. They feel good when they escape.

Other batters have to look for gaps. Gaps open up and chant "Khulja Simsim" to let SKY caress the ball through them. Most of the attention will be on the batter on the other side and SKY would have raced ahead without anyone noticing, including himself. SKY doesn't exist. SKY isn't real. SKY is surreal. SKY is ethereal. SKY is an illusion !

Govind Raj Shenoy for DieHard Cricket Fans