FRAGRANCE OF IDEAS
India is yet again the winner of the ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2025 for the third time, a unique record achievement by any cricketing nation of the world. The last time it won the Trophy was in 2013 when it defeated England in the finals. Before that it shared the Trophy in the finals with Sri Lanka in 2002. On 9th March this year, when over a billion viewership was witnessed on the TV live match coverage, India won the finals in Dubai (UAE) after a clinical performance coupled with an absolute dominance in every department of the game. In fact, Pakistan was the host of the tournament, but it was routed out of it at the group stage consequent upon their consistent below par performance, unfortunately.
This is India’s second ICC Award in a period of 10 months. Though India lost to Australia in the finals of the ODI World Cup in November 2023, it won the T20 World Cup title in June 2024. Besides this, it also won the Asia Cup in 2023 in Sri Lanka in a convincing fashion. Over the last two years, India has been winning an overwhelming number of matches in all the regional and the international tournaments exhibiting total control, skill and an indomitable dominance. Out of the total 25 matches it played in the three ICC events over the last less than two years, India lost just one match against Australia in the World Cup 2023 finals in Ahmedabad-India.
Notwithstanding the notion about the official recognition of a particular sport as a national game, Cricket has assumed the status of a functional national game in India. It has over the last two to three generations gone into the DNA of the people living in India and also among those NRIs who are living in various corners of the world. For all practical purposes it is now like a household item in a routine manner for the people in all South Asian nations. Cricket is being recognised in the same way here in India as football is perceived to be in South America or Europe. The government of India has also recognised this position of the game and has accordingly formulated its policies and outlook in regard to the promotion of the game at the national and international level.
Huge success of cricket in India is based upon the following four pillars in the modern context. These four pillars comprise making the game as an industry and an important wealth generator for the nation, consistent excellence throughout in regard to the performance of the players, role of India in managing the affairs of the international cricket and using cricket as one of the biggest soft-powers of India at a global level that creates a huge impact on the nation’s diplomacy. On the occasion of the celebrations of winning the Championship title once again this time, let us discuss all of them here one by one.
Keeping in view the potential of the game, love and viewership of its people towards cricket, the governing body of Cricket in India-the BCCI converted the game of cricket into a tool of wealth generation for the nation. In this context, sponsorships, broadcasters and businessmen investing in the game play a great role in its promotion and the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a great example. It is the biggest cricket league of the world which as a brand is valued at over $10 billion, and the ecosystem of IPL is valued at over $12 billion. The value of the IPL’s franchises is also expanding with some of the original teams potentially worth up to $2 billion each.
International cricket, IPL and Domestic cricket in India have all emerged as potential employment generators as well for various kinds of professionals throughout the length and breadth of the country. BCCI and its associate branches and Cricket Associations all over India have created huge infrastructure and the required paraphernalia at every level that requires executives, staff and skilled professionals for the whole year. The game of cricket in India has since ceased to be a seasonal game and it is now a 24x7x365 days affair in India. It has slowly and steadily turned up as a full-fledged established and flourishing industry over the last two decades which has made BCCI the richest Boards of the world.
The Team India is by every means a top ranking cricket team in the world. Over the last three decades, the excellence produced by the cricket players throughout the world has an overwhelming contribution from Team India. In all formats of the game, Indian cricket over the last two decades in particular has made an indelible mark. From a competitor to a challenger, Team India has covered a very long journey of success making it the top most team of the world. It has not only equalled the position acquired by the erstwhile mighty West Indies and the powerful Australia but has gone far ahead of them in various facets of the sport of cricket.
The successful Indian cricket players for the last one to two decades have created new benchmarks and irrefutable records that have left others to take inspiration from them in both short and the long run. Even among the “big three” of the cricketing nations, which includes Australia and England besides India, Team India has achieved a commanding position in the group. Moreover, India’s contribution in Women’s cricket as well has also come of an international level over the years. The icons like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, M.S.Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma besides the other greats have created a new history of excellence, pride and glory for the nation among the comity of nations.
India has assumed the de facto role of the custodian of cricket at an international level. BCCI pumps a large volume of money into the coffers of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The world governing body knows the strength of India and its maneuverability to influence the cause of the game positively at the global level. The representatives of the BCCI are a permanent part of the ICC in addition to the important responsibility that the office bearers hold. Some time back when the headquarters of the ICC was shifted from London to Dubai, it was done on the advice and guaranteed support of India so far as the future of the sport was concerned.
The presence of a huge volume of NRIs in different corners of the world is bringing ever-ready audiences to the game of cricket at an international level. ICC is well aware of this fact and depends upon this factor while formulating the global policies so far as the promotion of the game is concerned. Besides the permanent test nations and the other permanent members in the ICC, the international governing body of cricket now has a large membership globally. BCCI is instrumental in strengthening ICC so far as its investments relating to cricket in these large number of nations is concerned. The current Chairman of the BCCI Jay Shah is the former Secretary of the BCCI who was unanimously elected for the post in December last for five years ensuring India’s role in the game at the global level.
Cricket has become a major soft-power of India at an international level that is serving the cause of India also at a diplomatic level. The state of India is conscious of this fact and is playing its cards very well in this regard. Cricket is the second best game in the world so far as its viewership is concerned. Historically speaking, most of these audiences are in South Asia, Middle East and in the test playing nations of the world who bring charm and passion to the game of cricket. BCCI’s efforts have brought India to the frontline of sports that are watched internationally with great interest. The International Olympic Association (IOA) has decided to include cricket in the 2028 Olympics and India has a major role in this connection.
India has undoubtedly used cricket as an effective diplomatic tool to sideline Pakistan globally due to its (Pakistan’s) stubborn attitude towards India. The policy-doctrine of “Terror and Talks won’t go together” in relation to Pakistan adopted and executed by India has also included the bilateral cricketing ties between the two nations. This is not only a messaging-navigation only for Pakistan but for the whole world on behalf of India in regard to Pakistan. The blunt refusal of India to participate in the ICC or any other events in Pakistan is also guided by the same doctrine of India to push Pakistan into further isolation globally. Instead UAE, Sri Lanka and South Africa are encouraged, inspired and supported by India to promote organisation of the ICC events as also the bilateral events. This is also a major part of the story of success of India in the international cricketing scenario.
Victory in Dubai on 9 March 2025 is a statement of India in regard to its future in cricket and also the future of cricket in the world. The superpower status of India in the global cricketing scenario will undoubtedly continue for the time being unabatedly. The consistency with caution exhibited by Team India over the last five to six years in particular makes a great sense. With the conclusion of a number of bilateral series and the Championship Trophy 2025, the stage is set for the IPL 2025. The next challenge for India would be the tour of England in summer this year where both the nations will be playing a five-test series. At the moment, the whole nation is celebrating the historic victory with pride, gaiety and glory and why not…..!
(The author is a senior BJP & KP leader, Human Rights defender, author & columnist and can be reached at [email protected])
