Cricket and IPL: A Passion in India
In India besides religion, and festivals, people feel a great passion for a sport so admired, respected and followed by millions of people. We are talking about cricket that without a doubt is the national sports par excellence and that drags millions of followers in this great country. The IPL matches can last between a few hours or a whole day. But despite how strenuous and long these can be, nobody wants to miss seeing their preferred team win. In the United States, baseball, in Europe, soccer and in India, cricket is the so-called king of sports. When traveling to India you can see how millions of people are attracted to this unique sport.
For a long time, specifically since the 18th century, there has been a reference to this sport. You could say that cricket is linked with the history of India. This is a sport, which although it seems like a simple game requires certain strategies to be able to like baseball place the ball in a place where none of the players of the opposing team can have access to the ball after being hit.
A similarity of baseball in cricket is players have a ball and a bat. In this specific case have a flattened bat and the field of play has an oval field. For further information, we will tell you that the test matches are played over several days. It is three or four for "first class" matches and five for an international match. It could happen after that time the match ends in a draw. Each day six hours are divided into three sessions of two hours (approximately 30 overs per session), with a break of 40 minutes for lunch and another 20 minutes for tea.
Each team alternately plays two innings, unless the batting team in second place fails to reach less than 200 runs from their opponent (150 in four-day matches). In which case, the opposing captain may force a follow-on. Usually, teams wear white. Although marketing has changed it to other colors. The ball is garnet red. As a general rule, we know that test matches are never played under artificial light.
India is one of the powers in cricket. The national team has won in several years the most important international championships of the specialty such as World Cup, Champions Trophy, among so many awards. Cricket players like those of other sports in the West such as basketball, football and baseball are treated like a true movie or rock stars. Their shirts, sporting goods, autographs, and photos are seen in large numbers as their millions of followers are those who acquire their products to show their admiration.
Seldom do you see kids getting together to play a soccer game like they do in the rest of the world? Instead, they all play the exotic game of cricket. Yes, cricket is much more famous than football! What should be a unique case? Therefore, it is logical that the best Indian professional cricketer and the most famous (of history), Sachi Tendulkar is considered as the "God of Cricket" in India.
Wherever the man goes, he is greeted with the cries of Sachin, Sachin! by compatriots who give applause and jump and take pictures with their phones. Applause, chants, excitement, and enthusiasm is what you can experience and feel if you dare to enjoy a cricket match in India.
If something stands out among the Indian population is his great passion for cricket. Such is the fervor felt by this sport that the entire country is paralyzed every time an important match is held, as it happened a few years ago with the semifinal of the Cricket World Cup that involved India and Pakistan. To discover the reason for this unconditional hobby we recommend you to live a cricket match in India.
There are dozens of good cricket stadiums all over India so it's quite easy to be close to one of them on your trip. We have chosen the best three to enjoy an entire experience:
Eden Gardens Stadium (Calcutta)
Built in 1865, it is the largest stadium in the country and second in the world after the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia and is located in Calcutta. In Eden Gardens play the Bengal Cricket Team and the Kolkata Knight Riders, both competitors of the Indian Premier League, but they also play in their matches of the Indian cricket team. Although there are no official figures, it is said that after the renovation of its facilities it went from having a capacity of about 100,000 spectators to about 66,000. According to the Indians themselves, it is one of the stadiums where you can best enjoy a match because it is the oldest and most consecrated.
Raipur International Cricket Stadium (Raipur)
Another of the most important stadiums in the country is located in Raipur, specifically Chhattisgarh. The Raipur International Cricket Stadium is one of the most modern stadiums in the country. It was built in 2008. It has the best facilities for both spectators and athletes and has a capacity of 65,000 spectators. The first match in its facilities was played between the Canadian national team and the Chhattisgarh Cricket Team in November 2010. Since then it is the official stadium of this team and hosts all kinds of international matches.
DY Patil Stadium (Mumbai)
The last of the most important and new stadiums in the country is found in Mumbai. The DY Patil Stadium was built in 2008 and up to 60,000 fans can gather in its stands. It has a peculiar design that resembles some of the best sports stadiums in the world and currently hosts the Pune Warriors India team for IPL matches.
Choose your stadium and enjoy cricket in India
The passion for this sport in India is comparable to that felt in other countries by football or basketball. For this reason, if you like sports and want to live the passion for cricket in its purest state, do not miss this opportunity. Choose a stadium and any IPL game and feel like a true Indian on your trip.
For a long time, specifically since the 18th century, there has been a reference to this sport. You could say that cricket is linked with the history of India. This is a sport, which although it seems like a simple game requires certain strategies to be able to like baseball place the ball in a place where none of the players of the opposing team can have access to the ball after being hit.
A similarity of baseball in cricket is players have a ball and a bat. In this specific case have a flattened bat and the field of play has an oval field. For further information, we will tell you that the test matches are played over several days. It is three or four for "first class" matches and five for an international match. It could happen after that time the match ends in a draw. Each day six hours are divided into three sessions of two hours (approximately 30 overs per session), with a break of 40 minutes for lunch and another 20 minutes for tea.
Each team alternately plays two innings, unless the batting team in second place fails to reach less than 200 runs from their opponent (150 in four-day matches). In which case, the opposing captain may force a follow-on. Usually, teams wear white. Although marketing has changed it to other colors. The ball is garnet red. As a general rule, we know that test matches are never played under artificial light.
India is one of the powers in cricket. The national team has won in several years the most important international championships of the specialty such as World Cup, Champions Trophy, among so many awards. Cricket players like those of other sports in the West such as basketball, football and baseball are treated like a true movie or rock stars. Their shirts, sporting goods, autographs, and photos are seen in large numbers as their millions of followers are those who acquire their products to show their admiration.
Seldom do you see kids getting together to play a soccer game like they do in the rest of the world? Instead, they all play the exotic game of cricket. Yes, cricket is much more famous than football! What should be a unique case? Therefore, it is logical that the best Indian professional cricketer and the most famous (of history), Sachi Tendulkar is considered as the "God of Cricket" in India.
Wherever the man goes, he is greeted with the cries of Sachin, Sachin! by compatriots who give applause and jump and take pictures with their phones. Applause, chants, excitement, and enthusiasm is what you can experience and feel if you dare to enjoy a cricket match in India.
If something stands out among the Indian population is his great passion for cricket. Such is the fervor felt by this sport that the entire country is paralyzed every time an important match is held, as it happened a few years ago with the semifinal of the Cricket World Cup that involved India and Pakistan. To discover the reason for this unconditional hobby we recommend you to live a cricket match in India.
Where to enjoy a good IPL cricket match in India?
There are dozens of good cricket stadiums all over India so it's quite easy to be close to one of them on your trip. We have chosen the best three to enjoy an entire experience:
Eden Gardens Stadium (Calcutta)
Built in 1865, it is the largest stadium in the country and second in the world after the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia and is located in Calcutta. In Eden Gardens play the Bengal Cricket Team and the Kolkata Knight Riders, both competitors of the Indian Premier League, but they also play in their matches of the Indian cricket team. Although there are no official figures, it is said that after the renovation of its facilities it went from having a capacity of about 100,000 spectators to about 66,000. According to the Indians themselves, it is one of the stadiums where you can best enjoy a match because it is the oldest and most consecrated.
Raipur International Cricket Stadium (Raipur)
Another of the most important stadiums in the country is located in Raipur, specifically Chhattisgarh. The Raipur International Cricket Stadium is one of the most modern stadiums in the country. It was built in 2008. It has the best facilities for both spectators and athletes and has a capacity of 65,000 spectators. The first match in its facilities was played between the Canadian national team and the Chhattisgarh Cricket Team in November 2010. Since then it is the official stadium of this team and hosts all kinds of international matches.
DY Patil Stadium (Mumbai)
The last of the most important and new stadiums in the country is found in Mumbai. The DY Patil Stadium was built in 2008 and up to 60,000 fans can gather in its stands. It has a peculiar design that resembles some of the best sports stadiums in the world and currently hosts the Pune Warriors India team for IPL matches.
Choose your stadium and enjoy cricket in India
The passion for this sport in India is comparable to that felt in other countries by football or basketball. For this reason, if you like sports and want to live the passion for cricket in its purest state, do not miss this opportunity. Choose a stadium and any IPL game and feel like a true Indian on your trip.
Kalyan Panja
Kalyan Panja is a photographer and a travel writer sharing stories and experiences through photographs and words
