Once upon a time, there lived a 14 year old boy called Sumit. He loved playing cricket. He used to play very well and won many matches for his school team. His father decided to put him in a cricket coaching camp, in Mumbai. Sumit was delighted at the news. He met his instructor, named Mr. Sinha and he told Sumit’s father that Sumit needed a proper cricket kit for playing in the cricket nets. His father was sad at hearing that, since he did not have so much money with him. But, he still managed to buy Sumit a proper kit, containing pads, guards, a helmet and a bat.
Sumit began to go for his cricket classes. The coach was very impressed with both his batting and bowling skills. After sometime, Sumit started playing proper matches. He had becoming a fine all-rounder and was already known for his skills all round the city. But, the biggest surprise awaited him!
On one fine day, when he woke up in the morning, his father was screaming with happiness in his voice. His father came into his room and told him that his name was there in the Ranji Trophy squad for Maharashtra. It was also announced that he was the youngest player to play in the Ranji Trophy. Sumit was overwhelmed. He was turning into a nice cricketer indeed. He played very well in the tournament amassing plenty of runs.
Amongst all these changes in his fortunes, Sumit had a secret which he had not shared with anyone till that day. Once, when he scored a century for his state, his coach was so delighted that he gifted him a tennis ball. It was the first time he had earned something from his hard work. Even though the ball was used seldom by him, it was worth thousand gems to Sumit.
Three years passed quickly. Sumit passed his 12th standard board exams and wanted to completely focus on cricket. His father too agreed with him. He trained for at least 8 hours a day. He scored tons of runs for Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy matches. This brought him into the contention for being a part of the Indian Cricket Team. But, the Indian Team was not playing any major series for three months. But, he was picked by the Chennai Super Kings for a huge amount and was going to represent the team in a few months.
Since he had plenty of time with him before the IPL, he decided to visit his home town. He had not been there for at least a year. His parents were delighted to see him. They had watched him play on television and were proud of him. Sumit also visited his friends’ houses. All of them congratulated him on his success. One of his friend’s named Mayur asked him if he would like to play a game of cricket with them. Sumit hesitantly agreed. But, the problem was that none of his friends had a ball. They were all thinking of a way to buy a ball, when something struck on Sumit’s mind. He immediately thought of the ball he had preserved in his cupboard for the last 3 years. He rushed home. His mother was surprised to find him in such a hurry. Sumit opened his cupboard wide. He searched all around but could not find his ball. Finally, he saw it lying it at a corner in the floor, clean as ever. He was surprised to see it in such a nice condition. His mother came into his room and found him staring at his ball. She read Sumit’s mind and spoke, “Son, I came to know about your secret since I read your personal diary once. I have been washing this ball every other day. This is the reason it is spick and span.” Sumit was touched by his mother’s words. He replied back saying, “Mom, someday I will return all your love and compassion.”
Sumit went and played with his friends. They were playing just below the building and the pitch was far too small for Sumit’s standards. But, Sumit did not mind it a bit. They played with the tennis ball. Sumit was surprised to find the ball bouncing and swinging so well even though it was not used since so many years. But, unfortunately Sumit hit a ball bowled by one of his friend miles into the road outside the colony. The ball just seemed to fly off his bat. Sumit was disheartened. His friends told that he will not be able to go there and find it. But, they did not know how precious the ball was to Sumit. Sumit did not express his feelings, but felt bad from within. He told his friend that he wanted to go home. While he was going home, a proverb said by a famous scholar struck in his mind, “Never say die.” It is a simple proverb of three words but has a huge impact on people. Sumit immediately went out of the colony and began to search for his ball. He knew that the ball had gone a large distance ahead, but he knew that if he would go ahead, his mother would not be happy with him. He searched for a long time. Finally, he found that it had become dark and he went back to his house. He was very sad that night. His parents asked him the reason for that, but he would not tell them.
The ball had a pretty mysterious journey. The ball which Sumit had hit had gone miles in the air. Ultimately, the ball fell into a car. The man sitting in the car saw the ball and was surprised. He saw a mark in the ball. It was written, ‘Sumit Chaudary, first earnings.’ The man smiled and moved ahead.
The next day, Sumit woke up with a start. Initially, he forgot where he was, but after sometime, recalled that he was at his parents’ house. He was feeling better than the previous day but losing his precious ball still hurt him. His parents thought that he was not well. The dining table during breakfast was very silent. His father finally broke the ice and asked Sumit, “Son, you do not look fine. Please tell us what the problem is. Do not hide anything from us.” Sumit hastily confessed that he had lost his precious ball the previous evening. His parents too felt bad. His father told, “The ball was very precious to you. But, every good thing has to come to an end. Hence, your relationship with the ball has ended, but you still have a long career to go. Focus on your cricket and forget about the ball.” Sumit agreed with his father and forgot about the ball. He stayed in his village for a month and soon left and joined the Chennai Super Kings for their practice sessions.
Sumit played superbly for his team in the IPL. He had soon become the hero of the country. People had started to admire his all-round skills. His team went on to win the IPL. Sumit had become a top contestant to play in the upcoming Champions Trophy. He practiced day and night and soon gained faith in the selectors.
One day, when Sumit was in his hotel, the bell rang. He thought it was unusual since hardly anyone would ring the bell during the afternoon. When Sumit opened the door, he stood surprised. The great Sachin Tendulkar was standing in front of him. Sumit had seen him from far, but not from so close. Sachin said, “Hello, the new champ of the country, can I come in?” Sumit told, “How can I not let you come in? Please have a seat.” Sumit offered him some juice and sat down. He noticed that Sachin had something in his hand. Sachin saw where he was looking and asked him, “Do you want to see what is in my hand? Just wait a second.” When Sumit saw what Sachin had in his hand, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He had the tennis ball which Sumit had lost a couple of months ago. Sumit was astonished! He could not believe that the ball had reached the great Sachin Tendulkar. Sumit thanked him for that. After sometime Sachin Tendulkar left the house.
As soon as he left, the telephone rang. Sumit picked up the receiver. It was the selector’s call. He could not believe what he heard. He was selected for representing India in the Champions Trophy, which was to be held in England the next month. Sumit was filled with happiness. It had turned out to be a very lucky day for him. Firstly, the great Sachin Tendulkar visited his house. He was also selected for playing in the Champions Trophy. But, the biggest of all was that he had got his precious ball back.
He played very well for India in the Champions Trophy and was also named the man of the series. He had reached the pinnacle of success. But, he dedicated all this to his precious ball. Yes, it was a kind of belief, but there always is something that proves lucky for a person. And most importantly, it also encourages the person to do well in any field. Sumit had achieved his goal with his own capability. But, the very presence of the ball helped him to do better.
