India@75: Moments that turned the tide of cricket in India post-independence

India has emerged as the world's cricket superpower. In a country like India, it is not just a sport but beyond that. This sport has served as India's greatest expressions of national prestige. Since independence, it has provided a central social activity that created shared experiences and immense memories. And with the inception of IPL, this format has changed the picture of Indian cricket on the global slate forever. 

This cricket fever in India garnered enough attention after the 1983 World Cup win. World Cup 1983, is the moment which is considered as one of the biggest turning point in the history of Indian cricket. The team came into the tournament, with no one expecting it to win the competition given the fact that they had lost all of their previous games in the two World Cup tournaments that had took place before this tournament. So, every Indian victory in this tournament was a big moment for all the cricket fans.

India has gone from being underdogs to the dominant force in world cricket. The 1983 World Cup victory was the beginning of a new dawn for Indian cricket. However, India didn't enjoy much success in major ICC events for decades post the memorable World Cup triumph. India did win 4 Asia Cup titles between 1983 to 1995 but success eluded them in global ICC events. India became a dominant force under Sourav Ganguly in early 2000s but failed to win major trophies.

Then came MS Dhoni, a once-in-a-generation kind of leader who won everything there was to be as captain. Dhoni led India to a stunning T20 World Cup victory in his first major tournament as captain in 2007.

And finally, India's 28-year-long wait for their second World Cup title came to an end under Dhoni in 2011. Following the ODI World Cup victory, India won the Champions Trophy under Dhoni in 2013. India dominated world cricket under Dhoni, with him becoming the 1st captain to win all 3 major ICC trophies.

Indian cricket has seen so many golden eras post-independence. From World Cup triumphs to IPL's birth to women's cricket's rise, Indian cricket has come a very long way and today it acts as a catalyst for all. Sachin Tendulkar's emergence bolstered cricket's popularity altogether. Kapil, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid and many more became inspirational figures. Money continued to flow in as BCCI gained a stronghold in the cricketing fraternity. Mithali Raj-led India's 2017 ODI WC run brought an immense female following to the sport.

The biggest gift to cricket is inception of Indian Premier League. It made cricket a superpower in the world of cricket. The tournament, which started in 2008, is one of the richest sports leagues in the world with broadcasting rights costing even more than the English Premier League. Recently, IPL digital streaming rights were sold for a mammoth $6.2 billion making it the second costliest competition right now after the NFL. Economics aside, the tournament is also the perfect platform for young players. Along with the big names in the sport, it has produced future stars every year. While a majority of the current Indian squad had their start in the IPL tournament. A similar trend has also been observed in teams all around the world.

When India was coming out of the clutches of British rule, there was one common thing between the two nations- Cricket. And then today India is synonymous with cricket still there are many more revolutions and records to be registered.

The article is a part of our series India@75 in our endeavour to celebrate 75 years of freedom and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. Watch our special videos here