Indian Cricket is More Than Just a Game: it is a Way of Life

The inaugural World Cup match of the Twenty20 began on the 11th September in South Africa and with the match the two groups with opposing views grew further apart. The Twenty20 matches are a new format of the game that consists of matches with twenty overs per innings. Indian cricket till date had been ruled by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and now the ICL (Indian cricket League) has already started giving it some tough competition. The Indian cricket fans are also divided in their support of these two governing bodies and would like to wait and watch the outcome of the clash between the titans. The World Cup being played out in South Africa therefore holds a crucial key to the fate of ICL in the times to come.

Indian cricket has indeed come a long way from the time when it was first played only as a gentleman’s game among friends and club members. Now Indian cricketers are considered among the top players in the world and in spite of some disastrous performances on the field, no one can deny the superior skills of the players. Indian cricket fans are also a class apart from their counterparts who belong to other nations. In India, the game of cricket is no longer just a sports, it has indeed achieved the status of a religion where the players are worshipped as the idols. However the temperament of the Indian cricket fans can be quite unpredictable and their favors sway along with the outcome of a particular match.

The Indian team is welcomed home with garlands when they return after winning a match. The loss of a match or a really bad performance in a particular series can find the Indian cricket fans burning images and cut outs of their cricketing idols. The Indian team therefore always remains wary about the fan emotions because it is ever fluctuating. Like any other cricket enthusiast even the Indian cricket fan has strong opinions and views about the game. Ask any cricket fan on the street and chances are that he would confidently come up with a likely strategy that should be adopted by the cricket team to win matches. A visit to any cricket forum on online websites would give you an authentic glimpse into the world of Indian cricket fans as the ongoing discussions could range from the game strategies to the favorite movie of Sourav Ganguly.

Even the Indian cricket team for women has achieved excellence and the world’s fastest bowler is from India. Cricket has undoubtedly become the country’s national sports although unofficially. The busy streets that bear a deserted look every time India is playing an important match, points out the passion which a cricket match can generate among the cricket fans. As heated discussions over cricket continue for hours over cups of tea and snacks, it is evident that the obsession with the game is slated to continue and intensify with the passage of time.