“In India, cricket is not a sport, it’s a religion. Sachin is the god of cricket.” As said by the Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh during his visit to India.
Despite the existence of so many castes and creeds and the country fighting over religious feuds and discriminations of various kinds, cricket is something that keeps India bound together. And this cricket is not limited just to the big stadiums and the country’s best players. You find the beauty of cricket on the streets in the evenings, where the kids dream of themselves playing for their country and their spirit is nothing less than that of the national players. It is the best family bonding time, every time a match is telecasted the whole family sits together to enjoy the match and share the emotion. It is not even the national sport of India, but still, it is a celebration and an emotion to many people.
From its embarrassing infancy to being the number 1 in world cricket, Indian cricket has come a long way.
Let’s see how and why cricket become the love of the nation
The simplicity of the game
This game has a lot of simplicity attached to it because it can be played by everyone so people don’t think that this is a very complicated game. Though there are 22 players who play on field cricket just two players and a bat and ball can enjoy the game on the streets too.
Infrastructure
Though cricket is a game that can be played anywhere, there are proper stadiums and coaching centres where both kids and adults play. Also, every state of the country has a stadium. It has thus given wings to the earlier craze as it is open for everyone to learn.
Physical attributes
Games like basketball, football, hockey etc require a lot of physical fitness and height, and Indians do not engage in a very active lifestyle and aren’t very tall. But they do have the physical attributes required for cricket, which is why they understand and love it.
Role models
Some of the Indian cricketers are very popularly globally and are not taken lightly. They are an inspiration for many, people idolize them and look up to them. They wish not just to be actively involved in the game, but also want to play for their country.
Every generation of cricket has carried the legacy of the game and kept the bar very high. Adding on to that is the passion of the audience which makes cricket much more than just a sport.
BY DEBASNATA NAYAK
