A History: How Obsessed is India in Cricket?
By
Will Brown
Contributor Updated: 30 August 2024
Will Brown Contributor
William Brown is a Content Writer with strong expertise in US and global gambling industry trends. Having covered the local sports betting market since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, William approaches his gambling guides with passion and diligence. He is a keen player of online slots, blackjack, and a regular sports bettor.
India in Cricket
If you’ve ever watched India in cricket, you’ll notice an extremely skilled team that is backed by a feverish audience. In India, it is said that cricket is not just a sport but a religion, but how did a game played by the English upper classes find itself beloved by all in a nation on the other side of the world? In this guide, we’ve looked at the history of the sport in India and its obsession with the sport.
Intro to Indian Cricket Popularity
Before we can look at modern-day Indian cricket popularity, we must first look at how the sport was introduced to the country some 200 years ago. From there, the sport slowly spread across the nation, and it wasn’t until India declared independence that a true national identity around the sport was formed.
In the following decades, the national team developed into a powerhouse, and today it remains the most popular sport in the country. We’ve explored this history through the guide, as well as discussed top current players for you to consider at cricket betting sites in the US.
- Indian Cricket: The Early Years
- Indepenent Indian Cricket Identity
- The Golden Era
- The 2000s Global Success
- The 2010s to Today
- India’s Favorite Players
The Early Years of the India Cricket Obsession
Throughout the 1700s, India was gradually conquered by British colonial settlers, who ruled over the land through violence over its people. The colonial rulers brought cricket over from England, with the first recorded cricket match taking place in 1721 involving British sailors. For some time, the sport did not appeal to locals.
Then, in 1848, the Oriental Cricket Club was formed by Mumbai’s Parsis community. The cricket club allowed Indian members, and their success was so profound that they toured England in the late 1800s. This was the first time that Indian cricket talent was exhibited to international audiences.
In 1928, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was formed. This aimed to govern local Indian cricket games and organize tournaments and games between domestic teams. It also promoted India in cricket showcases, with tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy providing a structured seasonal competition.
In 1932, India played its first Test match against England at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. While the team was unsuccessful, the event established India as a nation of cricketers on the world stage. As the century progressed, the India cricket obsession increased.
Independence: A National Cricket Identity Emerges
After hundreds of years of imperial influence and endless struggles to gain self-control, India gained independence in 1947. The following years saw a boom in interest in establishing a national identity, and cricket was a major part of this. There were already several major players that had inspired locals.
Then, in 1952, India made history by winning its first Test series against England. Not only did this establish the nation as a team to take seriously, but it also boosted morale in the post-colonial population. The team was boosted by the awe-inspiring achievements of legends such as Vijay Hazare and Vinoo Mankad.
India’s love of cricket was well documented by the 1960s, as its national team consistently improved in performances against nations such as Australia and the West Indies. But it wasn’t just national cricket that had attracted audiences. Domestic games were immensely popular and appealed to all classes.
The 1970s to 1990s: The Golden Era of Indian Cricket
While the previous decades saw the success of India in cricket matches against international teams, it was between the 1970s and 1990s that began the so-called Golden Era of the sport. The national team earned its first test series win in the West Indies under captain Ajit Wadekar, with newcomer Sunil Gavaskar scoring a memorable 774 runs.
The same year, the team won a Test series against England for the first time out of their home turf. The team continued to develop with India’s spin quartet, with four players using a spin strategy to make them a team to fear when bowling. In 1978, all-rounder Kapil Dev was recruited, setting the scene for a successful 1980s performance.
In 1983, India was at the height of its power in cricket. This was displayed when the team won the Cricket World Cup under captain Kapil Dev. This was a shock to the world but caused a sensation in India, with more investment in cricket infrastructure granted in the nation and more programs to develop talent.
India’s performance in the 1990s was also marked by the arrival of an immense talent in the form of Sachin Tendulkar. Over his career, he became the highest run-scorer in Test and One-Day International cricket and led the team to the semi-finals of the 1996 World Cup which India co-hosted.
Indian cricket popularity had now hit its crescendo, with the boom in TV broadcasting reach seeing the sport beamed into the TVs across the nation. This saw increased revenues and in turn, greater investment in the team. By the turn of the century, cricket had reached maturity in India.
The 2000s: Achieving Global Success
In the early 2000s, the consistency of India in cricket matches was sharp and reliable. The team won the 2001 Kolkata Test match against Australia despite the odds and the following Natwest Series in 2002 in London. Changes to the structure of the governance of the BCCI saw player contracts improved to international standards.
After the team’s unexpected success at the 2007 T20 World Cup, local interest in the new format exploded, especially among younger audiences. This saw the creation of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, a domestic Twenty20 league that proved revolutionary to the sport and its developing talent.
The IPL garnered huge financial investment due to the fast-paced and entertaining nature of the games. It also attracted a huge global audience, and the league is now the most popular cricket league in the world. It is estimated that more than 500 million viewers have watched the 2024 season alone.
The 2010s to Today
There could be no better award for those who leaned into the India cricket obsession than the nation’s historic Cricket World Cup win on home soil in 2011. Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, tens of millions of Indian fans witnessed a thrilling moment as Dhani hit a match-winning six against Sri Lanka in the final.
Over the past twenty years, cricket has become the undisputed national sport of India, and the team has consistently stayed near the top of the ICC Test rankings. The BCCI continues to invest in young talent as India’s economy and development booms, with training organizations such as the National Cricket Academy ensuring a roster of highly skilled players.
India’s Best Current Cricketers
If you’re planning on betting on cricket, you must be educated about current Indian cricket players. Virat Kohli is one of the most popular cricketers of all time and the former captain of the national cricket team. He now played in the IPL and for Delhi in domestic cricket.
Rohit Sharma is the current captain of the India national team and is considered one of the best batsmen currently playing. Jasprit Bumrah is considered to be one of the best fast bowlers that has ever played for India, while Ravindra Jadeja is an all-rounder with a huge scoring potential.
