India’s foreign policy requires patience and sustained effort, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated. He used cricket as a metaphor to explain that some geopolitical challenges cannot be resolved through quick wins or immediate results.
At the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, Jaishankar noted that governments and media often seek fast outcomes, though complex international issues rarely unfold on such short timelines.
Diplomacy isn’t a T20 match
When questioned about whether modern diplomacy resembled T20 cricket—fast and designed for instant impact—Jaishankar disagreed. “To satisfy the press, we need to deliver enough T20 moments,” he said. “That’s what draws spectators, but real life includes many Test matches because outcomes aren’t decided in short bursts.”
The minister cited the war in Ukraine as an example of a conflict that defied early expectations of a swift end. “You have a war in Ukraine going on for five years. That’s not a T20 prediction.”
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He compared the situation in the Gulf to a cricket match that extended beyond early forecasts. “People may have thought the Gulf would be a T20 match. It has turned out to be not even a Test, maybe a Test series, or maybe even longer.”
Jaishankar explained that the modern information environment has conditioned people to expect rapid answers and concise solutions. “I know that today all of us, the way we have retrained ourselves, we want quick answers. We’re looking for crisp, short solutions.” Yet in diplomacy, many developments unfold as part of a longer process rather than standalone events.
Relationships over headlines
Diplomatic progress, he argued, often escapes immediate headlines or clear-cut victories. It depends on consistent investment in relationships, requiring countries to remain steady through difficult phases. “It’s not the immediate headlines. It is sometimes not even what appears to you as a win or, you know, often these are processes. These are investments over a long time. These are relationships, and you know there will be ups and downs. And sometimes even in the downs, you need to hold steady.”
Some issues can be resolved quickly, he acknowledged, but many demand a different approach. “Some of it can be given, but a lot of it are almost like readouts from what is a long, evolving situation, like a dipstick. Okay, where are you today? What is happening?”
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This holds especially true for geopolitical challenges, which involve multiple actors and shifting conditions. The minister’s comments reflect efforts to manage global uncertainty while balancing ties with major powers and advancing interests.
The analogy extends beyond diplomacy. In an era of short attention spans, committing to long-term strategies can feel unfamiliar. Yet conflicts like the one in Ukraine or instability in the Gulf show that some problems resist simple, fast-paced narratives.
Jaishankar did not predict when these prolonged challenges might conclude. For now, he emphasized the need for steady engagement rather than temporary fixes.
