GOOD TO BE KINGS

The T20 World Cup title could be just the beginning of a sustainable long term excellence

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

RAHUL Dravid roared like a proud father. Rohit Sharma slapped the field with his hands before eating grass off the pitch. Sharma kissed Hardik Pandya on the cheek. Jasprit Bumrah hugged Sanjana Ganesan, presenter and wife, after an interview.

Adults bawling on live TV. Adults doing things you thought weren't capable of doing a few months ago. Adults losing all sense of professional etiquette. Elite sport doesn't come with a satisfaction guarantee.

In a commencement speech at Dartmouth College recently, Roger Federer gave a new perspective on his career. "In the 1526 singles matches I played in my career," he had said, "I won almost 80%. What percentage of points do you think I won? Only 54%... when you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot." Even the greatest athletes go through more heartbreaks than triumphs. They rarely get to manage their exits. But when it clicks, like it did at the Kensington Oval on Saturday, the deliverance is off the charts. Soon after the Indian players converged, the heavens opened up to drench them. The rain wasn't spoiling their parade. It was joining in on the fun.