Last Updated on May 24, 2022 by Anjali Chourasiya
You are mistaken if you think cricket is only a game. It is beyond that. Cricket teaches us an important life skill – financial planning. The strategies and tactics used to win a match during the game can teach us about building a solid financial portfolio, stabilizing your finances, and creating wealth over time.
Anyone who knows about cricket is aware that the game depends on various factors. It is not just about the fielding strength or batting order. It is all those factors and actions that lead to a win. From scoring runs, adjusting the bowling order to watching the wicket, cricket includes a lot of planning that may or may not meet bare eyes. Not many of us know that these strategies can help us manage our finances.
Cricket is a game of patience, and the side that practices patience on and off the field is most often the one that wins. It was evident in the T20 World Cup final in 2011 against Srilanka, and we’re confident we’ll see it in many more matches to come.
So, how can your finances be leveraged from a game of cricket? This article covers the top cricket lessons and techniques that will help us manage our finances better and effectively.
Table of Contents
A winning team for your finance
Cricket is a game where 11 players sport a healthy match to win against their opponent. However, the process the BCCI undertakes to handpick these players involves plenty of scrutinies and planning to put together the best team representing the country. A team sport can only be successful if each individual brings some skill to the table. When they play as a team with all skills combined, that’s when a winning team is made.
This strategy is also applicable to your finances. While allocating your asset, you should scrutinize the elements closely to create a winning team for yourself in the long run. That being said, the correct mix of assets includes stocks, debt, real estate investments, and even gold, among other assets. These elements, when put together, will help you achieve your financial goals in the long run.
Plan ahead for your finance
What if, before a match, a player suddenly gets injured? These kinds of situations demand us to plan for the future. A contingency plan should always be in place for conditions where plan A could not work.
Similarly, to meet your financial goals, you need to plan. You need to allot your finances so that even if there is an emergency for you to face that involves money, you should have it. To achieve this, you should always invest and save the right amount and minimize your expenditure as much as possible. The future is unpredictable. But the best thing we can do is be prepared for the worst and plan ahead.
Achieving big targets for your finance
One must get off to a fast and solid start to chase a large target. If not, the increased run-rate will get the best of players, and in turn, they will submit to the pressure and fail to meet their objective. When teams need to enhance their net run rate to attain their target before the given quota of overs and qualify, a great start is required.
This analogy applies to your finances as well. People say that your young days are enjoying yourselves and spending money. While we agree with this thought, there is something that young people should understand. To achieve bigger financial targets, you have to start as early as possible. So, if you begin investing aggressively from day one, your returns will be better than others. It’s as simple as that. Yes, you can start later. But, be ready to achieve your targets late too. It is the basic principle of life, and cricket teaches us very well.
Plan your moves for your finance
In cricket, it is critical to play according to the circumstances. It’s crucial to stay patient and consolidate if the pitch is challenging, where the ball is moving or if early wickets are lost. To keep the scoreboard ticking, it makes sense to take ones and twos instead of massive hits.
Many times, we act out impulsively. You see stock, and you go ahead to get your share without assessing the risks and your financial health. In such a situation, if your financial health depends on this gamble and the stock market crashes, you are going to be in a huge fix. It is critical to understand that planning your moves cleverly will always reward you. Making money is easy, but so is losing it. So, always measure the moves you are planning to make so that you are not in a difficult situation financially.
Avoid close calls with your finance
When the goal is within reach, it makes little sense to take additional risks. A move like this might backfire. At such a point, the most important thing is to bat/bowl wisely.
Similarly, when you are close to achieving your goal, it is preferable not to take excessive risks. For example, when you’re near your target retirement corpus, you should minimize your equity exposure and shift to debt to safeguard your profits from being eroded by market volatility.
The power of bench strength
Bench strength is just as important as 11 on-field players for a team’s success. If a player is ruled out for a few games due to injury or fails to perform as expected, they are replaced by a similarly capable player.
The same idea works well for your finances as well. If one asset does not perform, you can always replace it with a different one. For example, if the prices for gold fall and you see great potential for platinum, you can always replace gold with platinum. It’s your call. It helps you keep your flow going makes you a long-term player in the market.
Don’t count on your stars for your finance
Often we invest in a great company’s stock, only to have it underperform. After a slow start, Sachin and Sehwag, two of the best batsmen globally during their peak, got out. When these two superstars were out for 31 runs in the 7th over, it appeared like everything had gone wrong.
Many individuals turned off their televisions and went about their daily routines. Things changed, though, and the rest, as they say, is history. So, don’t count on your stars. Your investments are subjected to market risks. Accept that and move on.
Conclusion
A successful investor should be like Mahendra Singh Dhoni. They should remain calm when equities do not perform as expected. They should change when the traditional allocation no longer works and not react when others question his decision. Cricket can teach investors a lot about finance, and it’s something that a cricket-crazed country could use to their benefit.
