India’s not so ‘private’ tryst with Cricket dates back to ages. The gentleman’s game ‘which is not so’ currently is unofficially the national game, almost achieving the status of a religion, passion and talks of bylanes of Kashmir to deserted roads of Kanyakumari. Who in India doesn’t love to witness batsmen fully padded on to face bowlers steaming in with the red cherry on the lush green fields. Not so far away a half used parking garage lying in abeyance is suddenly the centre of uproar and tumult. The reason: the clock has stroked the designated hour and one sees a group of 8-9 street kids out in the sun carrying an ‘arrogant’ bat striated in patches and a shining new rubber ball. Welcome to galli cricket folks, India’s breeding grounds for ‘lost’ cricketers who perhaps have never made to the international stage. An entertaining form played with feverish fervor and gusto from a wide age range from 10-50 year olds.
So where does the name come from as taken from the Blog, Taken from the vantage point: Galli is the transliteration of the Hindi ‘Gali’ which means lane. Cricket was now being played across every nook and corner of the country and all that was needed was a lane, no matter how narrow or wide, a bat – make shift or real, a ball – preferably tennis Cosco or Vicky and some bricks or a neighbor’s compound wall for the wickets.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Sportzwiki today presents its readers the unwritten rules of Galli Cricket
Who can play the game: Anyone who can swing the bat, you don’t need to possess the swagger of Mahendra Singh Dhoni nor the stylish elegance of VVS Laxman. Only striking the ball would do. Hence Akash Chopra gets a look in.
- A neighbour’s concrete compound wall would act as 3 wickets with bails were drawn by etching outlines with stones.
- If there aren’t two bats available, the non striker would run for his life using a piece of stick, broken tree branches or even rulers.
- Boundary walls would be a cast of imagination: Trees planted far or near doesn’t matter, bricks loitering the streets or even fences if the latter exist.
- The number of overs would depend on the number of players. Usually the youngest kid would bat and bowl last and field where the ball goes most.
- Whoever owns the bat, will open the batting and also keep wickets, which would mean less fielding.
- The team with an extra player doesn’t have last man batting and will have to nominate one of their players who will field for the opposition.
- The score keeper is hurled the ignominy of disdain, reason: 1+2 might become 4. Scenes of Parliament can be easily reckoned if there is a dispute. Usually the most senior most guy’s word is taken to be final.
- There is no umpire, the non striker has to perform the duties of the umpire. Hence LBW’s are for loosers.
- Unlimited dead balls are recorded, more than the number of fours Ishant Sharma concedes in his five over spells.
- One drop one hand catch, beat that Jonty Rhodes
- Usually if the ball can’t be found, say its blinded in between the grass or under cars, or has flowed into the drains, the batting side gets one compulsory run.
- You can chuck till you bowl fast.
- If nearby windows are broken, the match is over.
- If you hit the ball from where you can’t get it back, you have to buy the new ball. Exactly why Chris Gayle didn’t play galli cricket and never will.
- The match only ends when the suns fully sets and nothing can be seen
