How many cricket fans are there in india
Cricket in India is not just a sport, it’s considered as a religion by many. Unlike other countries where soccer, rugby or basketball remains the first choice of sports fans, in India, cricket stands tall and unshaken at the top. ICC World Cup or an IPL match, the fanaticism shown by Indians towards cricket is unparalleled. The craze for cricket among Indians isn’t limited to watching matches; they play it whenever possible – streets to stadiums, irrespective of places and seasons.
Popularity of Cricket in India
A survey conducted by Duff & Phelps reported that almost 93% of Indian population follow cricket which equates nearly to whopping 1.3 billion people. Therefore, there’s no denying that more often than not you will find every third person in India claiming themselves as ardent fans of cricket. But what makes cricket so popular? Well, the reasons are manifold but among them is its potential to unite people across different sections of society despite their diversities.
Indian Premier League (IPL), one of the most successful sporting events globally, has played a substantial role in expanding this fanbase even further. Its enthralling format combined with Bollywood star presence has attracted immense viewership from all age groups within India and beyond its borders. Further proof lies in the fact that out of top-10 highest-rated television programs in 2019, seven were IPL matches.
Affection for Players
Apart from the game itself, the affection Indians hold for cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar who earned ‘the god’ status due to his sporting achievements adds another dimension to this scenario. Youngsters look up to players like Virat Kohli not only for his cricketing prowess but also off-the-field lifestyle thereby making him a youth icon today.
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Influence on Society
The influence doesn’t end here. When India won the ODI world cup in 1983 for the first time, it sparked an entire generation’s interest in cricket and encouraged greater participation at grass root levels across cities as well as rural areas. Even nomenclature on Indian land is influenced by cricket where streets named after a player isn’t a rarity.
Social Media Engagement
Social media platforms have been able to project this enthralling drama of cricket thus captivating even larger audience. Live streaming has made matches more accessible irrespective of physical location. Platforms like Dream11, Cricbuzz etc which provide live commentary, stats or Fantasy Cricket Leagues acts as further stimulators for the growing engagement.
Women in Cricket
The emergence of Women’s Cricket and success of Women’s IPL too holds its share of adding new followers to the sport. Recent years have witnessed tremendous growth and popularity for women’s cricket in India with improvement in performance on international level.
The Future Growth
Loving cricket is ingrained deeply into cultural traditions of Indians so much that no change of season sees any difference in passion among them. The increasing fame, solid investment opportunities coupled with technological advancements only projects upwards trend. So it wouldn’t be wrong to claim millions and billions will continue being addicted to ‘the Gentleman’s game’.
Thus, how many fans are there? Numbers might not paint a complete picture but one thing is certain – almost every other Indian carries cricket in their heart! Whether they understand every rule or not, whether they play it or just enjoy watching; from narrow lanes of Varanasi to busy Mumbai streets, cricket finds space everywhere – In conversations, debates or dreams. For Indians, ‘Cricket’ ain’t merely a sport…it’s an emotion!
