A Gentleman’s Game and a Gentleman’s Failure
In the closing keynote of the Impact/Failure Conclave 2022, writer-director Jaideep Varma delivered a raw, riveting reflection on his 9-year journey with the “Impact Index,” a radical cricket analytics platform. Built from a place of deep frustration with traditional stats and idol worship in cricket, the Impact Index sought to reframe how performance was evaluated using context, pressure, and actual match impact rather than just raw numbers. From questioning Tendulkar’s halo to highlighting Dravid’s overlooked greatness, Varma’s venture was equal parts revolutionary and controversial.
The journey took him from a front-page Hindustan Times splash to an Oxford invitation from ICC, and then into a full-time obsession that left him broke, disillusioned, and still fighting for a vision most of cricket’s institutions ignored. Despite collaborations with Wisden India and even a title-winning consultation with Sydney Thunder, the project ultimately crumbled due to lack of monetization, misguided partnerships, and an unwilling industry. Jaideep’s honesty about his failures, in meetings, in business strategy, and even in managing people, paints a deeply personal portrait of persistence and heartbreak.
