Cricket, without doubt, the most popular sport in India

If there is something that can forge this multilingual, multicultural Indian nation, then it is cricket. It seems that the cricket enthusiasm is everlasting. Cricket is in their blood. Even a lost match does not keep spectators away from the television screens. An average of 400 million spectators follows the matches of the national team. Even European football cannot generate such national interest and enthusiasm as cricket in India. It is definitely the most popular sport in India.

It sounds strange that the national sport of India is actually hockey. They won several Olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1956. But the non-official national sport of the country is cricket. The Motera Stadium, the biggest cricket stadium in the world, located in Ahmedabad, with a capacity of 110 000 opened in February 2020 in India.

When cricket gained popularity

Cricket suddenly gained popularity when Kapil Dev and his team won the legendary World Cup in 1983.

The introduction of color TV during the Asian Games of 1980 has further boosted its popularity. The success in 1983 was definitely a turning point in cricket history as the Indian team had no prestigious victory before. Captain Kapil Dev believed that the team could achieve more than just taking the World Cup as a paid holiday opportunity. The Bollywood movie „1983” covers their magnificent story. 

The team members became role models for so many children who decided to lift once the trophy in the air as well. One of them was Sachin Tendulkar, the uncrowned king of Indian cricket history.

Then the players and fans had to wait almost three decades to celebrate again. In 2011, after 28 years, India became cricket world champion. Since then, the Indian team is regarded as a favorite in all three formats of cricket (20 over, ODI, Test). This is a kind of addiction. No other event has such high TV-ratings, and no other sport creates such hype among the Indians.

Lately, there were attempts to make other sports popular in India with books and movies, but apparently, nothing can turn the attention away from cricket. Even the Bollywood movie stars are not able to outrival the cricket stars in advertising success. The love for cricket is one of the many interesting facts of this country.

The cricket players are like Gods

Cricket is played everywhere at every possible spot; between houses, in parking lots, on terraces, on uneven ground, in all empty areas. Everyone knows Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The latter is also called short as MSD, and every Indian knows who these three letters refer to. Players are not only icons, but children are often named after them. They have a bigger fan camp than Lionel Messi. They are almost considered gods. The best players have countless admirers and live fabulously. It can also mean an entry to a political career or acting.

Even castes play no role in cricket. Cricket is an attractive option for children because they do not have to pass several exams, and everyone has an equal chance to become a famous cricket player. 

Furthermore, the tens of millions of spectators offer great opportunities for advertisers. In short breaks after “overs”, several products can be advertised to potential buyers. The stadiums are always full. Once every four years, the country is in World Cup fever. During this time, not a single Bollywood movie is featured in a country that produces 1000 movies every year. The matches against Pakistan are of a particularly prestigious interest, as the two countries have fought many wars since their independence in 1947, and the conflict is still unresolved. 

Cricket, the sport of Gentlemen

Cricket is a British colonial heritage that the Indians called “The Game of Kings”. At the same time, it is also the Gentlemen’s game. 

They do not question the decisions of referees. The defeated team does not make a fuss at the end of the match. First royal families and wealthy businessmen pursued this sport. Later it became popular with the rest of the society as well. They play in three forms; the ODI, which is one-day long, the Test, which takes several days, and the 20over, which is fast and lasts for half a day. The participating nations set up separate teams for each type of cricket.

Cricket is the most popular sport in the British Commonwealth countries but is hardly known in other countries. Less than a dozen countries have international cricket teams: England, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. Recently Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Kenya and Canada have joined the international cricket society. Among these countries, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the countries where the heart of the whole population beats for cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar, the former legendary cricket icon

The superstar born in 1973-born retired already in 2013, but for many, he is still the best. Throughout two decades, he has proven his talent, delivered outstanding performances, devoted most of his life to cricket, and showed that he could make such a sacrifice for something he likes doing. At the age of 16, in 1989, he played in a game against Pakistan, and then the English and Australians also noticed his unique talent. He greatly contributed to the 2011 World Cup victory. He beat every possible record in cricket. After a few hours of his retirement, he was awarded the highest civil award, the Bharat Ratna as the first athlete in history.

Where to buy tickets for cricket matches in India?

If you want to go to a cricket match in India, book your tickets online. They are usually open for sale a month before the match. The price of tickets for Indian Premier League matches cost: 300- 7000INR, for international matches: 2000 – 20.000 INR

https://insider.in/sports-matches

https://in.bookmyshow.com/