Cricket is the most popular sport in India. It is played almost everywhere in the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the governing body of cricket in India. They conduct all the domestic tournaments in India and select the players for the India national cricket team and the India women's national cricket team to represent India at international cricket.
International cricket in India does not follow a consistent pattern and is spread throughout the calendar year, unlike other cricketing teams such as Australia and England, who tour other countries during the winter and play at home during the summer. The Indian cricket team is one of the most successful cricket teams in the world, having won 2 Cricket World Cups, 3 T20 World Cups, 3 Champions Trophies and finishing runners up twice in World Test Championships. India also has won a Women's Cricket World Cup. India has hosted multiple Cricket World Cups, and will host the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, the 2029 Champions Trophy, and the 2031 Cricket World Cup in future.
Cricket is an important part of Indian culture and top players, like Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, Kapil Dev, Polly Umrigar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Lala Amarnath, Ravi Shastri, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya,Jasprit Bumrah and Sanju Samson often attain celebrity status and are some of the most influential figures in the country. Cricket is often portrayed patriotically in popular Indian films, including the Academy Award-nominated film, Lagaan, and 83, the 2021 sports drama film about India's Cricket World Cup victory in 1983. The Indian cricket team shares a long-standing rivalry with the Pakistan cricket team, and India-Pakistan matches are some of the most anticipated matches in the world, and one of the most watched television broadcasts in the world. The IndiaâÂÂAustralia cricket rivalry is an intense rivalry within the sport of cricket. The matches between these countries are known for their intensity. It is considered as one of the biggest matches in the world, and is among the most-viewed sport games.
Cricket was brought to India in the early 1700s, with the first documented instance of cricket being played in 1721. At the time of its introduction, it was used as a medium for Indians to integrate into British cultural norms. By serving as a bridge between the two groups, it made assimilating much easier. During its early years in India, the sport was played by Indian elites to gain favour with the British. This not only increased the sportâÂÂs value due to its association with the elite but also helped it gain popularity across the country. Although it began as a foreign sport, the sport ultimately became associated with India and began to play a role in India's identity. In the late 1800s, cricket's image began to move away from being an exclusively upper class sport as players from lower castes and underprivileged communities began to play and make their mark.
The first ever match of first-class cricket played in India was in 1864 between Calcutta and Madras. Not many records exist from the match. The entire history of cricket in India and the sub-continent as a whole is based on the existence and development of the British Raj via the East India Company.
India became the sixth national team to play Test cricket on their 1932 tour of England. Captained by C. K. Nayudu, their inaugural Test was against England at Lord's Cricket Ground from 25 to 28 June, but they were defeated by 158 runs.
The major and defining event in the history of Indian cricket during this period was the Partition of India following full independence from the British Raj in 1947.
An early casualty of change was the Bombay Quadrangular tournament, which had been a focal point of Indian cricket for over 50 years. The new India had no place for teams based on ethnic origin. As a result, the Ranji Trophy came into its own as the national championship. The last Bombay Pentangular, as it had become, was won by the Hindus in 1945âÂÂ46.
India also recorded its first Test victory in 1952, beating England by an innings in Madras.
One team totally dominated Indian cricket in the 1960s. As part of 14 consecutive victories in the Ranji Trophy from 1958âÂÂ59 to 1972âÂÂ73, Bombay won the title in all ten seasons of the period under review. Among its players were Farokh Engineer, Dilip Sardesai, Bapu Nadkarni, Ramakant Desai, Baloo Gupte, Ashok Mankad and Ajit Wadekar. In the 1961âÂÂ1962 season, the Duleep Trophy was inaugurated as a zonal competition. It was named after Ranji's nephew, Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji (1905âÂÂ59). With Bombay in its catchment, it is not surprising that the West Zone won six of the first nine titles.
Bombay continued to dominate Indian domestic cricket, with only Karnataka, Delhi, and a few other teams able to mount any kind of challenge during this period.
India enjoyed two international highlights. In 1971, they won a Test series in England for the first time ever, surprisingly defeating Ray Illingworth's Ashes winners. In 1983, again in England, India were surprise winners of the 1983 Cricket World Cup under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Kapil Dev was also most known for the Viv Richards Catch, and him scoring 175 not out, being the first Indian to score an ODI Century, and also broke the World Record of Glenn Turner's 171. 183 is the lowest score ever defended in a world cup final.
During the 1970s, the Indian cricket team began to see success overseas beating New Zealand, and holding Australia, South Africa and England to a draw. The backbone of the team was the Indian spin quartet â Bishen Bedi, E. A. S. Prasanna, B. S. Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, giving rise to what would later be called the Golden Era of Indian cricket history. This decade also saw the emergence of two of India's best ever batsmen, Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Vishwanath responsible for the back-to-back series wins in 1971 in the West Indies and in England, under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar.
The Indian women's team made its test debut in 1976, becoming the third nation to do so. It made its ODI debut on 1 January 1978.
In the late 1980s, continuous live coverage of overseas matches was broadcast by British networks. This was a major factor in shaping what was now becoming the modern game of cricket. Modern technology and the establishment of specialized television networks set a global interest for the sport. ESPN and Star Sports added cricket to part of the 24 hours of continuous live coverage that they were needed to produce. Global popularity increased among the Eastern world. Soon after a domestic league (the Indian Premier League) was established.
During the 1980s, India developed a more attack-focused batting line-up with talented batsmen such as Mohammad Azharuddin, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ravi Shastri prominent during this decade. Despite India's victory in the Cricket World Cup in 1983, the team performed poorly in the Test arena, including 28 consecutive Test matches without a victory. However, India won the Asia Cup in 1984 and won the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985. The 1987 Cricket World Cup was held in India and Pakistan â the first time it was played outside England.
From the 1993âÂÂ94 season, the Duleep Trophy was converted from a knockout competition to a league format.
Several team names and spellings were altered during the 1990s when traditional Indian names were introduced to replace those that were associated with the British Raj. Most notably, Bombay became Mumbai and the famous venue of Madras became Chennai.
Despite its arrival in the 1700s, cricket's popularity soared gradually as it spread across regions. It became a unifying factor in the country, transcending social and cultural barriers. The sport was initially popular amongst the elite, but it began to transcend as people from lower castes would come together to play, watch, and engage with the sport. Post-independence, cricket continued to flourish and became an integral part of the nation's fabric, particularly in their rivalries, the most prevalent one being India v Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) emerged as a pivotal force, steering the sport toward globalization. In addition, technology played a crucial role as it increased accessibility by bringing live cricket matches into homes which amplified its reach and its impact.
A significant change in cricket's globalization in India came with success on the international stage. Victories in major tournaments aided in globalization, but the tipping points occurred in the win of 1983 Cricket World Cup. This match was led by Kapil Dev in addition to Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar who became prominent figures in the sport's growing popularity during this period. The background of these players originated from outside the traditional upper-class elite so they emerged as cultural icons who represented the dreams and aspirations of Indians with an increased sense of pride. Their success on the global stage in a post-colonial India resonated deeply with India as it evoked pride and honor which many had not felt in a long time.
In addition to the increased sense of nationalism which aided in its globalization, cricket mirrored the changing socio-political landscape of India. By shifting a once elite sport into something accessible to the masses, the sport echoed societal transformations with the rise of the middle class. Cricket became a vessel for social mobility and offered opportunities and hope to people across India regardless of their religion, caste, or social standing. With the increased popularity of the sport in India, especially in the 1980s, international satellite television networks latched onto cricket because of its global audience and the newly emerged market of viewers in India. In order to secure their place, these networks worked out broadcasting deals with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which gave the BCCI an immense amount of wealth which further aided in the globalization of cricket.
In addition to its spread through television, its globalization has a direct link to India's increase in consumerism. As the sport became increasingly popular in India in the 80's into the 90s, India experienced a rapid expansion of both televised and billboard advertising. As a result, it became common for various teams and individual cricket players to promote various consumer goods which aided in its globalization.
Sachin Tendulkar was one of the key members during 1989âÂÂ2013 for Team India in multiple formats.
Since 2000, the Indian team underwent major improvements with the appointment of John Wright, India's first ever foreign coach. This appointment met success internationally as India maintained their unbeaten home record against Australia in Test series after defeating them in 2001 and won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007. India was also the first sub-continental team to win at the WACA in January 2008 against Australia.
India's victory against the Australians in 2001 marked the beginning of a dream era for the team under the captainship of Sourav Ganguly, winning Test matches in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, West Indies and England. India also shared a joint victory with Sri Lanka in the ICC Champions Trophy and went on to the finals in the 2003 Cricket World Cup only to be beaten by Australia.
In September 2007, India won the first ever T20 World Cup held in South Africa, beating their arch-rivals Pakistan by 5 runs in a thrilling final.
India won the Cricket World Cup in 2011 under the captainship of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the first time since 1983 (28 years) â they beat Sri Lanka in the final held in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.
India won the Champions Trophy in 2013 by defeating England in England.
India played its 500th Test match against New Zealand led by Kane Williamson at Kanpur from 22 to 26 September 2016. India won this match by 197 runs. This test was played under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.
On 29 June 2024, India won the 2024 T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa in the final. They became the third team after England and West Indies to win the cup twice and also the first team to win the tournament undefeated.
On 9 March 2025, India won the 2025 Champions Trophy undefeated. The team defeated New Zealand in the final. This was India's third consecutive final of the tournament, as well as fourth consecutive ICC final. India became the first team to win the tournament thrice.
On 2 November 2025, India won their first Women's Cricket World Cup, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. In the semi-final, they chased a huge target of 339 runs against Australia, which is one also the highest successful run chases in the history of Women's ODI. The victory was widely celebrated and recognized across India as a landmark moment for womenâÂÂs cricket in the country.
In the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, India defeated New Zealand in the final, thus becoming the only team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups (2024 and 2026), and a record three titles in the T20 World Cup.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at the Cricket Centre in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The BCCI is the wealthiest governing body of cricket in the world. The BCCI is involved in talent development through grassroots programs and cricket academies. Its initiatives include infrastructure development, coaching, and player welfare programs designed to maintain and enhance India's competitive performance internationally.
The BCCI was established on 1 December 1928 in erstwhile Madras (presently Chennai) under Act XXI of 1860 of Madras and was subsequently reregistered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975. It is a consortium of state cricket associations that select their own representatives who elect the BCCI president. It joined the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1926 which later became the International Cricket Council.The BCCI is an autonomous, private organization that does not fall under the purview of the National Sports Federation of India of Government of India and does not receive any grants from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The BCCI is influential in international cricket. The International Cricket Council shares the largest part of its revenue with the BCCI. IPL run by BCCI is one of the wealthiest sports leagues in the world.
The India national cricket team is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is a member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Since 1926, the BCCI has been affiliated with ICC, the international governing body for world cricket. In 1983, the BCCI became one of the founding members of the ACC.
The following list includes the performance of all of India's national teams at major competitions.
The Indian cricket team is one of the most successful cricket teams in the world, having won 2 Cricket World Cups, 3 T20 World Cups, 3 Champions Trophies and finishing runners up twice in World Test Championships.
The Indian cricket team has won the Women's Cricket World Cup once in 2025, and have reached the finals of the Women's T20 World Cup once in 2020.
Membership of the Board of Control for Cricket in India is made up of Full Members and Associate Members.
The majority of full members are state cricket associations. Each state is permitted one representative, except for Gujarat and Maharashtra, which have three. There are additional representatives from Indian Railways, Services and Universities. Changes recommended by the Lodha Committee included restricting full membership to state associations and limiting states to one full member, with the others becoming associate members, but these have not been fully adopted by the BCCI, with existing members retaining full membership except for Cricket Club of India (Mumbai) and National Cricket Club (Kolkata).
All members not meeting the criteria for full members are classified as associate members. They include:
International cricket in India generally does not follow a fixed pattern. For example, the English schedule under which the nation tours other countries during the winter and plays at home during the summer. Generally, there has recently been a tendency to play more one-day matches than Test matches. Cricket in India is managed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the richest cricket board in the cricket world.
The India National Cricket Team represents India in international cricket matches.
India have been participating in international cricket since 1926 and competed in international tournament since the first ever the 1975 Cricket World Cup. They have competed in numerous tournaments over the years including the ACC tournaments. The Indian national cricket team has also provided some of the greatest players to the world, the biggest example of which is Sachin Tendulkar. Indian cricket has a rich history. The Indian men's national team is currently ranked No. 1 in Tests, No. 1 in ODIs and at 1st position in T20Is. India won two World Championship cups in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev and recently won in the year 2011 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which was won after a span of 28 years. They also won the World Championship of Cricket in 1985.
The India national women's cricket team represents India in international women's cricket matches.
India have been participating in international cricket since 1976 and competed in international tournament since the second ever the 1978 Women's Cricket World Cup. They have competed in numerous tournaments over the years including the ACC tournaments. They are the most successful women's cricket team in Asia. The Indian Women's national team is also currently ranked No. 4 in ODIs and at 3rd position in T20Is.
In 2020, stronger crowd participation was seen than in other forms of the game. It has been greatly acknowledged by people and has made huge profits.
India has a plethora of international standards Cricket stadiums. The world's largest cricket stadium, Narendra Modi Stadium, is located in India. Eden Gardens of Kolkata, the 3rd largest cricket stadium in the world, is situated in West Bengal. The domestic cricket governing bodies such as the State Cricket Association controls cricket related activities and sanctioned tournaments in their respective regions and hence, there are 38 Ranji Teams. These domestic boards are affiliated to BCCI, while district cricket boards in the country are affiliated to state boards. The country has lots of private cricket academies and clubs. The world's 3rd largest cricket arena is being built in Jaipur. MRF Pace Foundation provide facilities to fast ballers.
A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within India
List of current broadcasters:
List of current broadcasters:
List of current broadcasters:
List of current broadcasters:
List of current broadcasters:
List of current broadcasters:
List of current broadcasters:
Cricket is portrayed in Indian popular culture as an extremely important part of India's national identity. It is frequently associated with a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism.
Cricket has been portrayed many times in various Indian films. One such popular film is ', a film produced by Arun Pandey and Fox Star Studios and directed by Neeraj Pandey.It stars late actor Sushant Singh Rajput as India national team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, known as one India's greatest Captain, Finisher ever in cricketing history. The film is of the biographical sports drama and covers some parts of life of the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni such as childhood, family relationships, struggles, marriage, captaincy of India national cricket team and making India win the most icon 2011 Cricket World Cup by hitting a six. was received very well by audiences and critics alike, scoring 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8 on IMDb.
83 is also a film produced by Reliance Entertainment and directed by Kabir Khan. It stars actor Ranveer Singh as India national team captain Kapil Dev, known as one of India's greatest bowlers in cricketing history. The film is of the historical genre of Indian films and covers the Indian national team's underdog victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup. 83 was received well by audiences and critics alike, scoring 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.5 on IMDb. Many reviews appreciated the film's emphasis on national pride and dramatic storytelling of India's famous victory in 1983, although some criticized the film for unnecessarily over-dramatizing parts of the story.
Indian national cricket players are viewed as some of the highest-profile celebrities in India, especially Sachin Tendulkar, who some attribute god-like status to. Towards the end of his sporting career, Tendulkar began to pursue a political career, being sworn in as an MP to Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of Parliament in 2012, one year before retiring officially in 2013. While Tendulkar has not officially associated himself with any political party, various literature have claimed that he started to become a Hindu-centric role model after the turn of the 21st century during his cricketing career.
The five most popular cricket clubs on social media in the world are all Indian Premier League clubs as of 2024: