Cricket in India
Cricket is a game that unites the people of India. It unites them like no other.
Indians' passion for cricket ignites their hearts and drives them to celebrate every win with great fervor and enthusiasm.
India has reached a point where, when an important match takes place, people stop what they're doing to watch it. It has become almost like a religion in the country; its devotion has reached unprecedented heights.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
Cricket is a beloved sport among millions of Indians. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) serves as the governing body of Indian cricket and oversees all domestic tournaments as well as selecting players to represent their country at international tournaments.
In 1928, the BCCI was formed with six regional cricket associations as its founding members. Its mandate is to oversee and develop all aspects of cricket in India, including selecting teams and coaches for international matches and national competitions. Furthermore, it strives to promote and enhance the values associated with playing the game through sport-related activities.
At Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, its headquarters are situated. As an independent private organization not affiliated with any government agency, it is one of four cricket bodies recognized by ICC for its quality standards and regulations.
In the BCCI, there are two levels of membership: associate and full. To become a full member, an individual must belong to an accredited state cricket association.
Before someone can officially become a full member of the BCCI, certain conditions must be fulfilled. The first requirement is that an individual must be recognized by both their state and district cricket associations.
Another essential requirement is the person's willingness to serve on a committee and attend various meetings. Furthermore, they must agree with the terms of the organization's constitution.
The BCCI is led by a president who preside over all meetings and manages all aspects of the organization. Furthermore, he or she can appoint other members as his or her deputy.
A vice president is accountable for running meetings in the absence of the president and managing other duties. Furthermore, they sign off on audited annual records as one of three individuals responsible for signing them off.
A secretary is an integral member of the board. They take minutes at all meetings held by the organization and distribute the statement of accounts prepared by the treasurer.
The Indian Premier League (IPL)
Established in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the world's most acclaimed domestic sports championships. This Twenty20 cricket tournament follows a round-robin group and knockout format.
The IPL is a major source of income for both the BCCI and the cricketing teams involved in it. Furthermore, it boasts an expanding fan base - especially important in India where cricketing culture is less developed than elsewhere in the world.
Despite some controversy in 2010, such as players associations threatening boycott of the league, the IPL has grown into one of the world's most lucrative and beloved sporting events. In 2019, its brand value reached US$5.9 billion, making it second only to American National Football League in value globally.
The IPL's popularity has made it a major source of income for its owners, who are looking to expand into new T20 leagues in South Africa and the United States. Through their most recent media-rights sale, the IPL was able to offer top international players salaries higher than what they would receive with their national teams in one year.
Players in the IPL are acquired at auction for a fixed amount and then given a contract to play for their franchise. This contract provides them with an annual income of money for three years, though it can be terminated by either player at any time.
IPL franchises have a trading window during the tournament, where they can exchange players with one another. Furthermore, they have the option to replace injured or unavailable players at any time.
Due to this, the IPL has earned a reputation as an exciting and unpredictable sport. At auctions, some unknown domestic players can be bought out for millions of dollars while many established international stars remain unsold.
Similar to other sports, the IPL is overseen by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This body organizes all domestic tournaments and selects players for India as well as dealing with any disciplinary matters regarding players or teams involved in IPL.
The International Cricket Council (ICC)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the governing body of cricket worldwide. It organizes major international tournaments, appoints umpires for Test matches, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, promulgates the ICC Code of Conduct for international cricketers and coordinates action against corruption and match-fixing through its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).
The Council currently consists of 106 members, consisting of 10 Full Members who play official Test matches, 36 Associate Members and 60 Affiliate Members. India, England, New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa make up the Full Members.
Associate Members are countries where cricket has a well-established and organized presence but has not yet been granted Full Membership status. These 38 Affiliate Members do not possess voting rights within the ICC.
Since its founding, the ICC has strived to promote cricket by organizing thrilling global events, expanding the sport's reach and creating long-term successful commercial partnerships. It also took steps to enhance stability within cricket by introducing various rules and regulations such as a decision review system (DRS) and anti-corruption unit.
ICC publishes team rankings for all formats of cricket, which are updated regularly. Furthermore, an elite panel of umpires and International Referees Committee oversee the disciplinary process at all Test and ODI matches.
The BCCI, which organizes all domestic tournaments and selects Indian players for India, has a revenue sharing agreement with the ICC that grants it 3-4% of any surplus revenues over an eight-year period. This share is expected to rise over time to 21-22% during that same period.
Sources estimate the ICC will generate between $2.5 and $3.5 billion over the next eight years. This amount could increase significantly as it plans to expand its revenue base to include more than 100 countries.
The ICC has a five-member selection committee responsible for selecting teams for all Test and ODI matches. Members are chosen from each zone of India based on performance in local cricket matches.
The World Cup
India is one of the world's most beloved cricket nations, participating annually in multiple international tournaments overseen by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The International Cricket Council (ICC) organizes the World Cup of Cricket, an annual international event where teams from around the world compete in three formats of the game: one-day International cricket (ODI), Twenty20 International cricket (T20I) and Test match cricket (Test). There are also many domestic competitions held within India such as Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League.
In 2019, India will host its own World Cup of cricket from October-November. This marks the first time since 1987 that India has hosted this prestigious tournament on their own. This is an unparalleled opportunity for Indian cricketers to showcase their abilities and win some international success.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the World Cup of cricket is the premier international event in world cricket. Teams that win international matches and tours are awarded points by ICC and whichever team has earned the most points at the end of the tournament will be declared victor.
India had a formidable team when they hosted the World Cup in 2007, boasting players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid who had dominated ODI cricket for many years. Additionally, they boasted destructive batsmen such as Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh. Zaheer Khan led an effective bowling attack alongside Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble for support.
However, India's performance at the 2007 World Cup was disappointing. Although they won their two matches against Pakistan and New Zealand, they lost all other three matches and finished in 6th position overall.
India had a talented squad, yet their performance wasn't good enough to advance them to the finals due to an excessive reliance on their star and aging players.
In 2023, they will host the tournament again and have selected a squad of 20 players. These individuals will be rotated throughout preparations leading up to the competition; if they perform well enough, they could potentially make up part of their World Cup team.