Unscripted Adventures

Cricket isn’t just a sport in India – it’s something that people live for. It’s a part of people, both culturally and emotionally. With its enormous players and make-or-break matches, cricket has made its home in the hearts of Indians. However, this fame comes with consequences. Other sports, such as football, or even the national sport, hockey, get a small place in mainstream India. Even if they do achieve some glory at times, it doesn’t get as much recognition as cricket does. 

Cricket was first introduced to India by the British in the 18th Century. It was primarily introduced by British sailors and the East India Company Traders, initially played by expatriates, and then adopted by Indian royalty, such as the Parsis, to gain favour from the British and to echo British culture. The Parsi community in Bombay formed the ¹Oriental Cricket Club in 1848 – the first Indian founded cricket club – and started playing against other European teams, making a huge leap forward. 

Cricket was one of the first sports introduced by the Britishand was quite popular, alongside other sports such as kabaddi and kho-kho, which at the time also had proper clubs and significant funding. However, in this evolving society, they don’t seem to have as much recognition as before. Cricket has a ²larger reach on social media, is exclusive to India, and the government gives more funding to it as well, in the form of huge stadiums, sports facilities, and more. Mainly, IPL and T20 are where cricket gets its fame from, as it is publicised hugely, while on the other hand, other sports gain more attention from global tournaments, such as the Olympics, where all sorts of sports are played – from javelin throwing to break dancing. 

These sports are very unique, and aren’t known throughout India – the only reason they might get popularity is if an Indian wins; we can take the example of Neeraj Chopra, and other non-cricket athletes often have to deal with significantly less funding and poorer infrastructure compared to cricketers. The majority of sports infrastructure funds and government support tend to be allocated to cricket.

For other sports to thrive like cricket, they need the same amount of support that cricket has, in terms of strong boards with political power. Non-cricket federations suffer from poor organization, corruption, and a lack of long-term planning, which restricts talent development and international successes. If the ³government and private companies can work together to refine sports administration and develop base-level sports infrastructure, sports like hockey, football, athletics, etc, can blossom. India’s economy can improve as well – hosting international tournaments or expanding professional leagues can help reduce unemployment and boost India’s global figure. 

However, not all hope is lost for other sports like football and basketball – it’s quite popular with Gen Z. According to a survey held by YouGov, most people found football matches and other sports interesting because they’re entertaining and exciting – social media platforms like SonyLiv or JioHotstar let viewers watch different types of sports at their own time and convenience. The majority of the Gen Z population has social media, and it serves as a platform for them to receive their information in the form of reels or small clips. 

Other sports struggle to get a place in mainstream India, and the government doesn’t help them as much as they help cricket. If they can work together to expand their passion, many stars could come out of it and make our India proud. The players won’t have to grapple their way towards recognition, and people will start to become more aware of the diversity of sports. 

Bibliography:

1. Kapoor, Coomi. “Excerpt: When a Parsi Team Pulled off India’s First Cricket Victory.” Www.ndtv.com, NDTV, 11 May 2023, http://www.ndtv.com/book-excerpts/when-a-parsi-team-pulled-off-indias-first-cricket-victory-4017845. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
2. HYPERIoN. “Cricket’s Domination: Why Other Sports Struggle in India.” Medium, 6 Dec. 2024, medium.com/@hyperion712316/crickets-domination-why-other-sports-struggle-in-india-7475b495dc4f. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.

3. Sahni, Jaspreet. “Non-Cricket Sports Structure in India: What’s Working and What’s Lacking.” The Times of India, Times Of India, 19 Jan. 2022, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/non-cricket-sports-structure-in-india-whats-working-and-whats-lacking/articleshow/88991249.cms. Accessed  30 Jan. 2026.
4. Mahajan, Anuj. “Beyond Cricket: Emerging Sports Gaining Popularity in India.” Trendvisionz, 24 Nov. 2024, trendvisionz.com/sports/beyond-cricket-emerging-sports-in-india/.
5. “The “Beautiful Game” in India.” Yougov.com, 2025, yougov.com/articles/52245-the-beautiful-game-in-india.