How Did Cricket come to India?

Cricket is the most beloved sport in India. In this article, we go through the history of the sport and discuss how it came to be and how cricket became a success in the country.

The game’s origins can be traced back to England. It was played by children during the 1400s. The first recorded instance of adults playing cricket is in the 16th century. In the 17th Century, local lords sponsored teams and bet on the outcomes. Today, cricket betting is hugely popular in India. Sportsbet.io covers match bets, in-play bets and pretty much any other kind of bet you can come up with.

The 17th century is often called the Exploration Age or the Colonial Age. The British Empire was expanding and colonizing many African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries. British merchants, sailors, soldiers, officials and tourists visited India. Indian people were interested in the game called cricket. They were not allowed to play cricket with their British colonizers, but they could observe the sport and learn its rules.

The first cricket match in India was played between Calcutta and Madras in the 1860s. There are no records of it. The first professional cricketer from India gained fame during the early 20th century. He was Colonel H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, ruler of Nawanagar, a princely state of India between 1907 and 1933. Ranji played first-class cricket for Cambridge University.

In 2022, India is considered one of the top competitors when it comes to international cricket. The Indian team holds numerous top-tier rankings at all three major cricket formats. Cricket is played in three formats today: Test cricket, One Day International cricket and Twenty20 International Cricket. Test is the most commonly played and known format of cricket in India. India has over 3000 points and a rating of 114. In ODI cricket India ranks in the second place, while in T20 cricket it is number one.