What is it about Cricket that Draws in a Worldwide Audience?
Cricket is the famous summer sport of England, which is now played throughout the world. This game of bat and ball is especially famous in Pakistan, Australia, India, New Zealand, and West Indies. Cricket believes to have started possibly as early as the 13th century. However, the British keep introducing this game whenever they start the colonization. Now, cricket phrases as the unendorsed national sport of India that got the olden times allied with its existence in the country.
Cricket may not look like one of the most famous sports as it does not get as much exposure as other sports. However, when you consider that it is the most famous sport in countries with massive populations, including Australia and India, it begins to make more sense why it is the second most famous sport and the game's viewership. Even though hockey is the national sport of India, people cherish and are fond of cricket. Indian people play cricket religiously more than any other sport and consider a religion by true cricket fanatics. The cricket fans in India do worship their favorite players. So, you can say that cricket is beyond popular in India, as it is more fanatical.
Most Viewed With Greater Concern Matches:
Due to festering diplomatic relations that sadly show no signs of abating, bitter foes Pakistan and India rarely play cricket with each other. However, the people of both countries love cricket. Even in India, it is a sport that is almost a religion of about 1.6 billion people.
The government of India does not allow their team to play their arch nemesis in bilateral series. Therefore, the anticipation and hype are amplified when India and Pakistan meet at Official International Cricket Council events. The governing body of sport sleepwalks through most thorny issues, but in this instance, it has the good sense always to ensure Pakistan and India meet and play one another in major tournaments of ICC.
Along with this good reason, this blockbuster is cricket's most passionate and simply best rivalry. The world of cricket stops for a match that means much more than bragging rights. However, it affects the countries' national psyche and is used as a political football by the warning governments. Perhaps the most important thing is that the match between Pakistan and India's ultimate draw-card guarantees unprecedented viewership.
Outside of India's drought-breaking 2011 World Cup triumph over Sri Lanka, the next three most viewership matches have been between Pakistan and India. According to ICC, the foes produced the highest watching match of the World Cup in 2019 with a worldwide TV audience of 273 million and more than 50 million digital-only viewers.
Since that, an unending series of Indian successes followed. The success and popularity of cricket make India the world's most famous cricket country by the end of the 20th century. In addition to this, it also becomes the home of international cricket tournaments. Cricket is the jewel in the crown of rising sports viewership in India.
Still, due to India and Pakistan rivalry, the matches between the teams at the stadium or on television channels and OTT platforms gain the highest viewership. Undoubtedly, the matches between India and Pakistan break the records of any other sports viewership. With rare matches between Pakistan and India, everyone savors their matches regardless of format and occasion.
Unlike the bad blood off it, and impressively given the stakes attached, the game of cricket nowadays is generally played in good spirit. In addition to this, Virat Kholi, who was the captain of the India cricket team during the Champions Trophy 2017, was applauded for his sportsmanship after underdog Pakistan upstaged India in the event. Now, the players from both teams, who often show more maturity than political leaders, appear to grasp this rare chance for diplomacy fully.
It is also one of the biggest reasons Pakistan does not allow their players to play in the lucrative IPL. However, this event is the biggest cricket platform, where players come from around the world to play, increasingly participating in over representing their countries to chase pay packets totaling more than $1 million for the most coveted.
Reasons That Explains The Popularity Of Cricket:
The professional Indian cricket team comprises some of the best players in the world, including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kholi, Rahul Dravid, and many others who are among the greatest have been. These names will be no stranger for every cricket lover. Within India, the name of these legendary cricketers will always pop up in conversation. In India, it is the best batter that children base their dreams around. For several years, children gather around the televisions and wonder in awe of the amazing talent that they watch from their fellow citizens.
Even after every match, there will be huge discussions analyzing every memorable short and event, reliving each moment of the match and making a family gathering as well as a day out of the international matches. In the history of Indian cricket, numerous names of players dominate the overall Indian cricket industry.
Some names of the cricketers include MS Dhoni, Virat Kholi, Sachin Tendulkar, and many others. They are idols for many people, and they worship them with full devotion. Of course, there are many reasons behind the popularity of cricket, including the strength and flexibility of the team player. Apart from that, players need strict physical training and discipline, which will help them adopt a healthy lifestyle. Here are some of the most prominent reasons that explain the popularity of cricket in India.
Help To Improve Overall Fitness:
So, now there is no surprise that cricket is very popular in the world, but the game's popularity has skyrocketed in recent times. It is now technically the second most famous global sport in the world. Cricket is one of those fantastic sports that you can enjoy whether you play or watch. It could become even more popular in the coming years for some different reasons. Like any other sport, cricket also helps build the player's physical strength. However, this game helps to create a healthy body because the match is played on the open ground.
The player needs to be strong enough to control the mind and body in the scorching heat and create the endurance to train in the harsh cold season. Many exercises, including weight lifting, hybrid exercises, and squats, combined with strength training, cross-training, and running. Furthermore, these are essential physical activities that play a key role in cricket training. However, the major goal is to adopt a fit and healthy lifestyle.
Enhance Various Important Skills:
There are multiple broad ranges of skills that are also involved in cricket. These skills help the players develop more self-esteem, make them mentally strong, and improve their resilience. There are 11 players in one cricket team, and coordination between every player helps them to win the game. Therefore, cricket encourages them to understand each other. Similarly, this development makes them more supportive and works towards the greater good.
Cricket also teaches the players to focus more on games because a single mistake can lead to injury. Nowadays, more and more people are drawn toward cricket, and one of the most prominent reasons is that it is easy to learn. It also helps them to learn strategic development and self-discipline. It will later help them in other areas of life.
Contributes to the Global Economy:
Nowadays, cricket and money have almost become synonymous. Cricket is a highly paid sport, so most of the cricketers in India have historically been the wealthiest among the other athletes in the country. They live a more expensive and sophisticated lifestyle than the general public. Every year the cricket league of India grows bigger and attracts more people. However, big businesses, like celebrities and trade money, build an IPL team and get there the players of the team on board. Thus, the more exciting match is more business you can cash in. Despite the money business people earn from the league, the team players also earn considerable money from the tournaments they play in.
After India won the inaugural T20 World Cup, they launched the IPL. It is a famous T20 league that is now the world's most prestigious domestic competition, and the whole of India celebrates it. The sport has been taken by storm since it unveils with the highest standards. Several big Bollywood stars show up, support their favorite team, and make a day out of it. Furthermore, as they are well aware that they collide two dates together so that they will wash out by the hype of the national sport. IPL manages to expand its playing centers all over India, to make the league get bigger and bigger by the year.
Another major reason cricket is so famous is the success of the Indian cricket team during the ICC global competitions. Winning the World Cup in 1983 and 2011 are treasured moments for the country. People of India also want to see the same success again with even more memorable moments. There are also plenty of other factors that contribute to the country's economy. For instance, to host the IPL matches, numerous stadiums in India have been revamped to organize the tournament. In addition, the new stadium's construction attracts more people to visit and watch the match live. Moreover, the other most prominent reason is the digital OTT platform, and TV channels earn billions of dollars for the rights to cricket matches.
Additionally, cricket also contributes to hospitality, travel, and tourism in the country. In addition, cricket fans are ready to travel from one city to another or from one country to another to see their favorite players live in action. So, it helps in the growth of the industry of tourism.
Draws 93% Sports Viewers:
Cricket is the most precious jewel in the crown, with rising sports viewership in the country. According to the BARC India report, 93% of all sports viewers in 2018 turned to cricket content. According to the report amidst the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. Furthermore, as many as 766 million viewers sampled sports content in 2018, from 43 billion impressions in 2016 to 51 billion impressions, registering a compound annual growth rate of 9%.
The impressions are the number of individuals in thousands of target audiences who watch the tournament, averaged across minutes. Highlighting the major insights, Romil Ramgarhia, the Chief Operating Officer of BARC, said, "Although other sports are making their presence felt on TV, cricket continues to be the most watched sport in India." You can easily guess the huge fan base of cricket by the fact that women constitute 48% of viewers. Growth in cricket viewership is also increasingly coming from regional language broadcasts. It is visible in non-English consumption, which rises from 77% in IPL 2018 to 81% in IPL 2019. It has now become telecast in 7 other languages.
The huge range of formats and tournaments increases the viewers' interest in women's cricket. Furthermore, International T20 Leagues, and Domestic competitions driving cricket viewership to new highs. While many other sports, including Kabbadi, Wrestling, and Football, are also gaining popularity among the people of India, cricket draws in the maximum number of viewers. The absence of any major ICC event resulted in a 28% drop in international cricket viewing for 2018. Similarly, while IPL 2018 grew by 19% compared to the previous year.
IPL is the mainstay in every Indian home and dominates sports viewership. Furthermore, during the week, it's on air. In the 11th edition of IPL, it dominates the annual cricket viewership with a 40% share. The most interesting fact is that 50% of IPL viewers are below 30. On social media, millions of people follow the team IPL. This online presence allows fans worldwide to keep up with their favorite teams and players.
Conclusion:
Cricket has now become the most popular sport in the world. However, the viewership of cricket matches is increasing day by day. Technically, it is the second most famous global sport after soccer. In addition, the matches between India and Pakistan draw the attention of a worldwide audience. Due to festering diplomatic relations between both countries, cricket matches are rare.