Inaugurating Delhi HC T-10 Tournament, Justice Vikram Nath Compares Spirit of Cricket to Spirit of Law

Supreme Court judge, Justice Vikram Nath on Sunday said that the qualities that define a good cricketer, fairness, patience, respect, teamwork, and unwavering adherence to principles are the same values that form the core of the judiciary. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Mohinder Kohli Memorial T-10 Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament at the Delhi High Court.

The tournament is organised in memory of the late Mohinder Kohli, mother of former Supreme Court judge Justice Hima Kohli and her sister Neelu Kohli.

Justice Nath remarked that both cricket and the law have evolved into essential parts of public life in India. Drawing an institutional parallel, he said that the British introduced India both to the rulebook of cricket and the common law tradition, and “Indians made both their own.”

“In law, we speak of the spirit of the Constitution, and in cricket, we speak of the spirit of the game. Both are founded on justice, fairness, and respect,” he said, adding that the underlying ethos of both fields rests on integrity and a commitment to rules.

He lightened the mood by noting that while a judge is certain of the date of their retirement, a batsman “never knows which delivery might be their last.”

Justice Nath also highlighted the evolution of cricket in India, especially the national impact of the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup win, which he said has dissolved older distinctions between men’s and women’s cricket and reshaped the sporting landscape.

Source: "Fair Play, Patience": Top Court Judge Compares Cricket And Judiciary