Why is cricket still an unexplored game in India?
Jun 12, 2016 at 12:19 PM
India, the land of one billion where cricket is considered a religion and unites the nation as one. Cricketers are worshipped as idols by people who follow the game. Many believe that the game of cricket has received a saturation point in India and now could only decline with the fan base.
On another hand, football has been rising in the nation than any other sport but has a long way to catch up with football. The nation that has got crazy with the game ever since their World Cup triumph in 1983 still has a lot to explore in the nation despite having the largest fan base than any other country. Is cricket still has a lot to explore in the nation?
Here are few points that emphasize that India could very well have more potential to expand as far as the game’s popularity is concerned.
1. Reach to smaller cities
BCCI are trying to expand the game in the country as they have recently awarded test matches to relatively smaller cities like Visakhapatnam, Pune, Ranchi and others. This shows their overview to explore and spread the game in smaller cities which will improve the fan base for the game.
The board has never taken such decision before as they often held an odd ODI in smaller cities but had always played the test matches in bigger venues. This new change will definitely impact the fans across the cities and would interest few more people who have not known the game much before.
2. Reaching untapped states
BCCI should also make efforts to make sure that the untapped states like the North Eastern states which do not play Ranji Trophy. Apart from Assam and Tripura, the game is not so popular in other states in the North East.
Another known fact is that states like Chattisgarh have done remarkably well and are now about to make their Ranji Trophy debut this year. The board should take necessary actions to bring in these untapped states into the game so that cricket can prosper all around India. There is also scope to improve the game in many other states like Jammu and Kashmir who are showing good performances and can be used to popularize the game in those particular territories over the next few years.