cricket in india

Tweet

is the unofficial national sport of India, and its development has been closely tied up with the history of the country, mirroring many of the political and cultural developments around issues such as race, caste, religion and nationality. Though cricket is indubitably the most popular sport in India, it is not the nation's national sport (a distinction held by field hockey).Cricket, like field hockey, was first introduced to India by the British. The earliest recorded match was played in 1721[1] by British sailors on shore leave. With the expansion of British rule throughout the subcontinent, the British took the game with them wherever they went. However, the early history of the game was focused largely on the large cities, particularly Bombay (now Mumbai).Emergence of native players Anil Kumble is the highest wicket-taker for India in both One-Day International and Test matches Anil Kumble is the highest wicket-taker for India in both One-Day International and Test matches The first Indians to play the game at a high level were the Parsi minority in Bombay. Beginning in 1892, an annual match was played between the Parsis and the Europeans. In 1907, this became a triangular tournament with the Hindus fielding a team, and in 1912 a Muslim team entered what was for twenty years the biggest tournament in India—the Bombay Quadrangular.