More than 1 trillion broadcast viewing minutes.
That was the global audience for the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, according to the International Cricket Council.
Domestic tournaments also draw large audiences. The Indian Premier League recorded 449 million television viewers in India during the 2023 season, based on data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council and broadcaster Disney Star.
International tournaments, domestic leagues and digital streaming have expanded the sport’s reach across cities, towns and villages in India.
So how did cricket become part of everyday life in the country?
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Before The Fans Came The Empire
Cricket arrived in the Indian subcontinent during the eighteenth century when the region was under British rule.
British sailors and soldiers played the game in port cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Local communities later began playing the sport, and cricket clubs formed in several Indian cities during the nineteenth century.
Organised domestic competitions followed in the early twentieth century. The Ranji Trophy, India’s national first-class cricket championship, began in 1934–35 and remains the country’s premier red-ball tournament.
The Win That Put Cricket On Every Screen
India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup under captain Kapil Dev.
The final took place at Lord’s in London, where India defeated the West Indies to win the men’s World Cup for the first time.
The victory brought widespread attention to international cricket matches involving India. Television coverage of these matches expanded in the years that followed.
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When Television Took Cricket Nationwide
Television broadcasts expanded the sport’s audience across India.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, the state broadcaster Doordarshan telecast international matches across the country.
Cable television expanded sports coverage during the 1990s. Dedicated sports channels increased the number of live cricket broadcasts, including international tours and domestic competitions.
Streaming platforms later made live matches available on smartphones and laptops.
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The Street Version Of The Game
Cricket is widely played informally across India.
Matches often take place in neighbourhood streets, parks and school grounds using basic equipment such as a bat and a ball.
These games remain common recreational activities among children and young adults in many Indian cities.
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The Star Era
Several players became widely recognised figures through international tournaments and television coverage.
Cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli received extensive media coverage during their careers.
In 2013, Tendulkar’s farewell Test match against the West Indies in Mumbai became one of the highest-rated cricket telecasts in India at the time, according to reporting by The Indian Express.
The IPL Changed The Broadcast Game
Domestic cricket audiences expanded further after the launch of the Indian Premier League in 2008 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The tournament introduced a franchise-based Twenty20 format with city teams and evening matches designed for television audiences.
In 2023, the IPL recorded 449 million television viewers in India, according to ratings data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council.
The Audience Numbers
Global cricket tournaments also demonstrate the scale of the sport’s viewership.
The 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup recorded the largest broadcast audience in the tournament’s history, according to the International Cricket Council.
Matches involving India were among the most watched broadcasts during the event.
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