Cricket is the most popular sport in India. It is played almost everywhere in the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the governing body of Indian cricket and conduct all domestic tournaments and select the players for India national cricket team and India women's national cricket team. Domestic competitions in India annually organized by BCCI include the Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the Deodhar Trophy, the Irani Trophy and the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy. The Indian Premier League, a Twenty20 tournament where various city-based franchises compete in a style similar to American football, is one of the biggest sporting leagues and the biggest cricketing league in the world. In 2023 it launched a similar league for females, the Women's Premier League (WPL) International cricket in India does not follow a consistent pattern, unlike other cricketing teams such as England, who tour other countries during the winter and play at home during the summer. The Indian cricket team is one of the most successful cricket teams in the world, having won 2 ICC World Cups, 2 ICC World Twenty20, 2 ICC Champion's Trophies and finished runners up in 2 ICC World Test Championships. The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, was initially meant to be hosted by India. However, after the escalation of the COVID-19 Pandemic in India, the tournament was moved by the ICC to the United Arab Emirates. The 2023 Cricket World Cup was hosted by India. Cricket is an important part of Indian culture and top players, like Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Virender Sehwag, Lala Amarnath, Polly Umrigar, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli often attain celebrity status and are some of the most influential figures in the country. Cricket is often portrayed patriotically in popular Indian films, including the Academy Award-nominated film, Lagaan, and 83, the 2021 sports drama film about India's Cricket World Cup victory in 1983. The Indian cricket team shares a long-standing rivalry with the Pakistani cricket team, and India-Pakistan matches are some of the most anticipated matches in the world, and one of the most watched television broadcasts in the world. It was only in 1983 when India defeated the West Indies that made the sport become popular.

History

Cricket was brought to India in the early 1700s, with the first documented insurance of cricket being played in 1721. At the time of its introduction, it was used as a medium for Indians to integrate into British cultural norms. By serving as a bridge between the two groups, it made assimilating much easier. In its early time in India, it was played and used by Indian elites to gain favor with the British which not only aided in the value of the sport due to its association with the elite but its high status helped it spread throughout India. Although it began as a foreign sport, the sport ultimately became associated with India and began to play a role in India's identity. In the late 1800s, cricket's image began to move away from being an exclusively upper class sport as players from lower castes and underprivileged communities began to play and make their mark.

1800s to 1918

The first ever match of first-class cricket played in India was in 1864 between Calcutta and Madras. Not many records exist from the match. The entire history of cricket in India and the sub-continent as a whole is based on the existence and development of the British Raj via the East India Company.

1918 to 1945

India became the sixth national team to play Test cricket on their 1932 tour of England. Captained by C. K. Nayudu, their inaugural Test was against England at Lord's Cricket Ground from 25 to 28 June, but they were defeated by 158 runs.

1945 to 1960

The major and defining event in the history of Indian cricket during this period was the Partition of India following full independence from the British Raj in 1947. An early casualty of change was the Bombay Quadrangular tournament, which had been a focal point of Indian cricket for over 50 years. The new India had no place for teams based on ethnic origin. As a result, the Ranji Trophy came into its own as the national championship. The last Bombay Pentangular, as it had become, was won by the Hindus in 1945–46. India also recorded its first Test victory in 1952, beating England by an innings in Madras.

1960 to 1970

One team totally dominated Indian cricket in the 1960s. As part of 14 consecutive victories in the Ranji Trophy from 1958–59 to 1972–73, Bombay won the title in all ten seasons of the period under review. Among its players were Farokh Engineer, Dilip Sardesai, Bapu Nadkarni, Ramakant Desai, Baloo Gupte, Ashok Mankad and Ajit Wadekar. In the 1961–1962 season, the Duleep Trophy was inaugurated as a zonal competition. It was named after Ranji's nephew, Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji (1905–59). With Bombay in its catchment, it is not surprising that the West Zone won six of the first nine titles.

1970 to 1985

Bombay continued to dominate Indian domestic cricket, with only Karnataka, Delhi, and a few other teams able to mount any kind of challenge during this period. India enjoyed two international highlights. In 1971, they won a Test series in England for the first time ever, surprisingly defeating Ray Illingworth's Ashes winners. In 1983, again in England, India were surprise winners of the 1983 Cricket World Cup under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Kapil Dev was also most known for the Viv Richards Catch, and him scoring 175 not out, being the first Indian to score an ODI Century, and also broke the World Record of Glenn Turner's 171. 183 is the lowest score ever defended in a world cup final, and India has done the unthinkable! During the 1970s, the Indian cricket team began to see success overseas beating New Zealand, and holding Australia, South Africa and England to a draw. The backbone of the team was the Indian spin quartet – Bishen Bedi, E. A. S. Prasanna, B. S. Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, giving rise to what would later be called the Golden Era of Indian cricket history. This decade also saw the emergence of two of India's best ever batsmen, Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Vishwanath responsible for the back-to-back series wins in 1971 in the West Indies and in England, under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar. The Indian women's team made its test debut in 1976, becoming the third nation to do so. It made its ODI debut on 1 January 1978.

1985 to 2000

From the 1993–94 season, the Duleep Trophy was converted from a knockout competition to a league format. Several team names and spellings were altered during the 1990s when traditional Indian names were introduced to replace those that were associated with the British Raj. Most notably, Bombay became Mumbai and the famous venue of Madras became Chennai.

Background

In the late 1980s, continuous live coverage of overseas matches was broadcast by British networks. This was a major factor in shaping what was now becoming the modern game of cricket. Modern technology and the establishment of specialized television networks set a global interest for the sport. ESPN and Star Sports added cricket to part of the 24 hours of continuous live coverage that they were needed to produce. Global popularity increased among the Eastern world. Soon after a domestic league (the Indian Premier League) was established. Several team names and spellings were altered during the 1990s when traditional Indian names were introduced to replace those that were associated with the British Raj. Most notably, Bombay became Mumbai, and the venue of Calcutta became Kolkata, both where the main places where the British did all their business. During the 1980s, India developed a more attack-focused batting line-up with talented batsmen such as Mohammad Azharuddin, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ravi Shastri prominent during this decade. Despite India's victory in the Cricket World Cup in 1983, the team performed poorly in the Test arena, including 28 consecutive Test matches without a victory. However, India won the Asia Cup in 1984 and won the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985. The 1987 Cricket World Cup was held in India and Pakistan – the first time it was played outside England. From the 1993–94 season, the Duleep Trophy was converted from a knockout competition to a league format. Despite its arrival in the 1700s, cricket's popularity soared gradually as it spread across regions. It became a unifying factor in the country, transcending social and cultural barriers. The sport was initially popular amongst the elite, but it began to transcend as people from lower castes would come together to play, watch, and engage with the sport. Post-independence, cricket continued to flourish and became an integral part of the nation's fabric, particularly in their rivalries, the most prevalent one being India v Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) emerged as a pivotal force, steering the sport toward globalization. In addition, technology played a crucial role as it increased accessibility by bringing live cricket matches into homes which amplified its reach and its impact. The pivotal moment in cricket's globalization in India came with success on the international stage. Victories in major tournaments aided in globalization, but the tipping points occurred in the iconic 1983 Cricket World Cup win which not only captivated the nation but the world. Even the most optimistic of fans believed the furthest India could go was the semi-finals, so when India reached the finals, audiences were captivated. This match was led by now legend, Kapil Dev in addition to Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar who were highly revered throughout India which aided in the increased popularity and globalization of cricket. Because these legends were not upper class elites, they emerged as cultural icons who represented the dreams and aspirations of millions in addition to the increased sense of pride they evoked. Their success on the global stage in a post-colonial India resonated deeply with India as it evoked pride and honor which many had not felt in a long time. In addition to the increased sense of nationalism which aided in its globalization, cricket mirrored the changing socio-political landscape of India. By shifting a once elite sport into something accessible to the masses, the sport echoed societal transformations with the rise of the middle class. Cricket became a vessel for social mobility and offered opportunities and hope to people across India regardless of their religion, caste, or social standing. With the increased popularity of the sport in India, especially in the 1980s, international satellite television networks latched onto cricket because of its global audience and the newly emerged market of viewers in India. In order to secure their place, these networks worked out broadcasting deals with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which gave the BCCI an immense amount of wealth which further aided in the globalization of cricket. In addition to its spread through television, its globalization has a direct link to India's increase in consumerism. As the sport became increasingly popular in India in the 80's into the 90s, India experienced a rapid expansion of both televised and billboard advertising. As a result, it became common for various teams and individual cricket players to promote various consumer goods which aided in its globalization.

21st century

Sachin Tendulkar was one of the key members during 1989–2013 for Team India in multiple formats. Since 2000, the Indian team underwent major improvements with the appointment of John Wright, India's first ever foreign coach. This appointment met success internationally as India maintained their unbeaten home record against Australia in Test series after defeating them in 2001 and won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007. India was also the first sub-continental team to win at the WACA in January 2008 against Australia. India's victory against the Australians in 2001 marked the beginning of a dream era for the team under the captainship of Sourav Ganguly, winning Test matches in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, West Indies and England. India also shared a joint victory with Sri Lanka in the ICC Champions Trophy and went on to the finals in the 2003 Cricket World Cup only to be beaten by Australia. In September 2007, India won the first ever Twenty20 World Cup held in South Africa, beating their arch-rivals Pakistan by 5 runs in a thrilling final. India won the Cricket World Cup in 2011 under the captainship of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the first time since 1983 (28 years) – they beat Sri Lanka in the final held in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. India played its 500th Test match against New Zealand led by Kane Williamson at Kanpur from 22 to 26 September 2016. India won this match by 197 runs. This test was played under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

Administration

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of cricket in India. Its headquarters is situated at the Cricket Centre in Churchgate, Mumbai. The BCCI is the wealthiest governing body of cricket in the world. The BCCI is involved in talent development through grassroots programs and cricket academies. Its initiatives include infrastructure development, coaching, and player welfare programs designed to maintain and enhance India's competitive performance internationally. The BCCI was established in 1 December 1928 at Madras (currently Chennai) under Act XXI of 1860 of Madras and was subsequently reregistered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975. It is a consortium of state cricket associations that select their own representatives who elect the BCCI president. It joined the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1926 which later became the International Cricket Council.The BCCI is an autonomous, private organization that does not fall under the purview of the National Sports Federation of India of Government of India and does not receive any grants from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The BCCI is influential in international cricket. The International Cricket Council shares the largest part of its revenue with the BCCI. IPL run by BCCI is one of the wealthiest sports leagues in the world.

National teams

The India national cricket team is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is a member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Since 1926, the BCCI has been affiliated with ICC, the international governing body for world cricket. In 1954, the BCCI became one of the founding members of the ACC.

Performance

The following list includes the performance of all of India's national teams at major competitions.

Men's senior team

The Indian senior national team had several successes and is considered No. 1 team in Asia and one of the best team in the world cricket. The national team's highest achievement is winning Cricket World Cups.

Women's senior team

Women's cricket arrived in India much later; the Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI) was formed in 1973. The Indian women's team played their first Test match in 1976, against the West Indies. India recorded its first-ever Test win in November 1978 against West Indies under Shantha Rangaswamy's captaincy at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna. The WCAI, the governing body for women's cricket, was affiliated to the International Women's Cricket Council. As part of the International Cricket Council's initiative to develop women's cricket, the Women's Cricket Association of India was merged with the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2006/07. In 2021, the BCCI announced that Ramesh Powar would become the Head Coach of the Indian Women's Cricket Team. In 2022, Indian Women script history by winning 1st series on England soil in 23 years.

Men's U-19 team

Women's U-19 team

Affiliations

Membership of the Board of Control for Cricket in India is made up of Full Members and Associate Members.

Full Members

The majority of full members are state cricket associations. Each state is permitted one representative, except for Gujarat and Maharashtra, which have three. There are additional representatives from Indian Railways, Services and Universities. Changes recommended by the Lodha Committee included restricting full membership to state associations and limiting states to one full member, with the others becoming associate members, but these have not been fully adopted by the BCCI, with existing members retaining full membership except for Cricket Club of India (Mumbai) and National Cricket Club (Kolkata).

Associate Members

All members not meeting the criteria for full members are classified as associate members. They include:

State Leagues list

Men's

Women's

Organisation structure

International cricket

International cricket in India generally does not follow a fixed pattern. For example, the English schedule under which the nation tours other countries during the winter and plays at home during the summer. Generally, there has recently been a tendency to play more one-day matches than Test matches. Cricket in India is managed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the richest cricket board in the cricket world.

Men's National Team

The India National Cricket Team represents India in international cricket matches. India have been participating in international cricket since 1926 and competed in international tournament since the first ever the 1975 Cricket World Cup. They have competed in numerous tournaments over the years including the ACC tournaments. The Indian national cricket team has also provided some of the greatest players to the world, the biggest example of which is Sachin Tendulkar. Indian cricket has a rich history. The Indian men's national team is currently ranked No. 1 in Tests, No. 1 in ODIs and at 1st position in T20Is. India won two World Championship cups in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev and recently won in the year 2011 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which was won after a span of 28 years. They also won the World Championship of Cricket in 1985.

Women's National Team

The [India national women's cricket team](https://bliptext.com/articles/india-women-s-national-[cricket](https://bliptext.com/articles/cricket)-team) represents India in international women's cricket matches. India have been participating in international cricket since 1976 and competed in international tournament since the second ever the 1978 Women's Cricket World Cup. They have competed in numerous tournaments over the years including the ACC tournaments. They are the most successful women's cricket team in Asia. The Indian Women's national team is also currently ranked No. 4 in ODIs and at 3rd position in T20Is.

Domestic Cricket

Men's Domestic Cricket

First class competitions

Limited overs competitions

Twenty20 competitions

In 2020, stronger crowd participation was seen than in other forms of the game. It has been greatly acknowledged by people and has made huge profits.

Youth competitions

Women's Domestic Cricket

First class competitions

Limited overs competitions

Twenty20 competitions

Youth competitions

Stadiums

India has a plethora of international standards Cricket stadiums. The world's largest stadium, Narendra Modi Stadium, is located in India. Eden Gardens of Kolkata, the 3rd largest cricket stadium in the world, is situated in West Bengal. The domestic cricket governing bodies such as the State Cricket Association controls cricket related activities and sanctioned tournaments in their respective regions and hence, there are 38 Ranji Teams. These domestic boards are affiliated to BCCI, while district cricket boards in the country are affiliated to state boards. The country has lots of private cricket academies and clubs. The world's 3rd largest cricket arena is being built in Jaipur. MRF Pace Foundation provide facilities to fast ballers.

Active stadiums

Hosting history

International performance

Men's team

A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within India

ICC World Test Championship

ICC Cricket World Cup

ICC T20 World Cup

ICC Champions Trophy

Asia Cup

Commonwealth Games

Asian Games

Defunct tournaments

Women's team

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup

ICC Women's T20 World Cup

ICC Women's Championship

ACC Women's Asia Cup

Commonwealth Games

Asian Games

Broadcast history

Domestic competitions

Domestic franchise cricket

List of current broadcasters:

Domestic State/Zonal cricket

List of current broadcasters:

Domestic State franchise cricket

List of current broadcasters:

International competitions

International Cricket (Home)

List of current broadcasters:

International Cricket (Away)

List of current broadcasters:

International franchise cricket

List of current broadcasters:

Miscellaneous competitions

List of current broadcasters:

Popularity

Social media

The five most popular cricket clubs on social media in the world are all Indian Premier League clubs as of 2024:

Attendances

The Indian Premier League clubs sorted by average home attendance in 2024:

In popular culture

Cricket is portrayed in Indian popular culture as an extremely important part of India's national identity. It is frequently associated with a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism.

Films

Cricket has been portrayed many times in various Indian films. One such popular film is M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, a film produced by Arun Pandey and Fox Star Studios and directed by Neeraj Pandey.It stars late actor Sushant Singh Rajput as India national team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, known as one India's greatest Captain, Finisher ever in cricketing history. The film is of the biographical sports drama and covers some parts of life of the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni such as childhood, family relationships, struggles, marriage, captaincy of India national cricket team and making India win the most icon 2011 Cricket World Cup by hitting a six.M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story was received very well by audiences and critics alike, scoring 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8 on IMDb. 83 is also a film produced by Reliance Entertainment and directed by Kabir Khan. It stars actor Ranveer Singh as India national team captain Kapil Dev, known as one of India's greatest bowlers in cricketing history. The film is of the historical genre of Indian films and covers the Indian national team's underdog victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup. 83 was received well by audiences and critics alike, scoring 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.5 on IMDb. Many reviews appreciated the film's emphasis on national pride and dramatic storytelling of India's famous victory in 1983, although some criticized the film for unnecessarily over-dramatizing parts of the story.

Celebrities

Indian national cricket players are viewed as some of the highest-profile celebrities in India, especially Sachin Tendulkar, who some attribute god-like status to. Towards the end of his sporting career, Tendulkar began to pursue a political career, being sworn in as an MP to Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of Parliament in 2012, one year before retiring officially in 2013. While Tendulkar has not officially associated himself with any political party, various literature have claimed that he started to become a Hindu-centric role model after the turn of the 21st century during his cricketing career.