India Cricket

India cricket is a cauldron of passion, power and politics. The national side is the highest paid national sports team in terms of sponsorship, and the players have megastar status in their country.

However, although the rewards for success are great, the cost of failure is equally high and causes fierce political debate and power struggles within the game. India cricket is also a prized commodity in the media, and the bidding wars over TV rights are often as titanic as those on the field of play.

India cricket was first recorded in 1721, with a match among visiting sailors. The first club was started in 1792, when the Calcutta Cricket club was inaugurated at the site of the current Eden Gardens stadium.

The game grew slowly, and India was granted Test Match status in 1932, after establishment of its ruling body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI0)

The strength of the team grew slowly, winning its first test match and test series in 1952. Then, after developing into a more attacking side, India won the ODI Cricket World Cup in 1983.

They became increasingly difficult to beat at home, though they remain more vulnerable when abroad. However, after a poor showing in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, they began to produce performances that justified their talent, winning the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup.

The key players of the 1980’s were the all rounder Kapil Dev and batsman Sunil Gavaskar, who alongside Mohammed Azharuddin, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ravi Shastri laid the foundations for the modern team of international superstars, featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, the “Prince of Calcutta”.

Tendulkar has god-like status in his homeland, and generates more column inches in the media than most politicians. An outstanding attacking batsman, he holds the global record for the most test match and ODI runs, centuries and appearances, though it’s interesting to speculate whether he will eventually be overtaken by the immensely talented Australian, Ricky Ponting – who has time on his side.

Although Tendulkar has captained India, his batting form declined while he was in charge. The current arrangements have a better balance, with Anil Kumble as Test captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni as ODI captain, and Gary Kirsten as coach. India’s form has improved immensely under this set up, and put them in a strong position for their forthcoming tour of Australia.

India cricket has the advantage of several world class cricket stadia, notably in Mumbai, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Chennai. However, at 100,000 spectator capacity, Eden Gardens in Kolkata is the biggest cricket ground in the world. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is the newest stadium, holding up to 50,000 spectators.

The massive cricket fan base of India Cricket means that these huge stadia are usually filled to capacity for international matches, and is responsible for the prosperity of the BCCI. Social lives are arranged around the matches, and even the ferocious traffic in the cities comes to a stop as fans watch and listen to the games in the media. This adulation spreads worldwide, due to the many Indian nationals living abroad.

Political tensions between India and Pakistan also extend to great rivalry between the India and Pakistan cricket teams, and between both sets of fans. Matches between these two great rivals have a status above The Ashes on the subcontinent, although recent series have been one sided in favour of India.

The success of the national team has not always been reflected in domestic India Cricket, and Zee TV took the initiative to start their own Twenty20 competition to rival the BCCI leagues.

Their competition is the Indian Cricket League (ICL), but because the ICL is not BCCI approved, some national cricket authorities will not allow their centrally contracted players to take part in the ICL.

Instead, the BCCI developed the Indian Premier League, which is now into its third season. The prize money of $3 million exceeds the $1 million of the ICL.

But, one welcome spin-off from this classic show of power and politics in India Cricket is that Zee Sports have proposed a similar ICL Twenty20 competition in North America. The ICC has tried to bring cricket to this huge market in the past, without success, so it remains to be seen if the ambition and financial clout of Zee Sports can conquer the west. You can find out more about the ICL at Cricket24/7 - Cricket Fan Club.

Having been at a low point three years ago, the Indian team is now riding high and rated No. 1 in the world reankings. And while new competitions like the ICL and IPL stem from politics and media ambition, they have every chance of promoting the game to a wider audience. The passion within India Cricket is truly a dynamo that drives the world cricket scene.