Indian cricket has witnessed some of the most memorable moments since the game was introduced by the British, and the first match was played between local Indian merchants and British sailors.
Calcutta Cricket Club was founded in 1848, while Madras (now Chennai) and Bombay (now Mumbai) formed their clubs later.
The Maharaja of Patiala was the one who sponsored the Indian team’s first tour to England in 1911. Maharaja of Nawanagar Ranjitsinhji played for England, and India started its first domestic tournament in 1934 in his remembrance by naming it the Ranji Trophy.
Indian Team’s First Test Match
India played its first Test in 1932 against England at Lords under the captaincy of the late Colonel CK Naidu. Although India lost the test match, the Indian team produced a gritty performance, while pacer Mohammad Nisar’s figures of 5/93 in that game were a silver lining.
Indian Team’s Performance in the 1970s and 80s
Although the Indian team was a slow starter in terms of matching the skills of some of the big teams like the West Indies, Australia, and England in the 1960s, the team witnessed the arrival of some of the legendary players like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Gundappa Vishwanath, BS Chandrasekhar, Bishan Singh, Dilip Vengsarkar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan, etc., in the 1970s and 80s that took Indian cricket to the next level.
India won the 5-match Test series 1-0 against the West Indies in 1971, when Gavaskar scored 774 runs in that series, and beat England in the 3-match Test series in England 1-0 the same year under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar.
The 1983 World Cup win under the captaincy of Kapil Dev highlighted the Indian team as world beaters, followed by a win in the 1985 Benson & Hedges World Championship final in Australia, with Kris Srikkanth scoring 238 runs in that series.
Indian Team Challenging the Biggies
The Indian team witnessed another bunch of legends who went on to break all kinds of records. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Azharuddin, Anil Kumble, etc., were some of the legends who made a lasting impression.
The 1996 Titan Cup win and the Coca-Cola Cup win in Sharjah were some of the most famous wins in the history of Indian cricket.
The 21st century saw the arrival of Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, etc., under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly.
Indian Team Winning Overseas
The team registered some famous overseas wins in Australia, England, and Pakistan. The team also witnessed the arrival of a star called MS Dhoni, who went on to become the legend of the game.
The Indian team’s win in the 2001 Border Gavaskar Trophy, where Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Harbhajan Singh played a big role, is the most memorable one.
Indian Domestic Cricket Witnessing New Tournaments
Apart from the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Irani Trophy, Indian cricket witnessed the introduction of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which is a T20 tournament.
Indian Premier League’s Contribution Towards Indian Cricket
The introduction of the IPL helped Indian cricket, where players from rural and semi-urban areas showcased their skills, which also helped them evolve financially.
Indian Cricket under MS Dhoni’s Leadership
Indian cricket took a giant step as the team dominated world cricket. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India won the T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 and the 50-over World Cup in India in 2011. Under his captaincy, India won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England.
Modern-Day Cricket
Modern-day cricket witnessed the arrival of legends like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. Apart from them, even players from small parts of India shined at the highest level.
Indian Team’s Performance in Modern-Day Game
Team India has dominated world cricket in all three formats, and the recent 2024 T20 World Cup win highlights the team’s calibre. Team India also made it to the finals of 2 World Test Championships, 1 semi-final, and 2 finals of the limited-overs World Cups in the last 10 years.
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