Over the past few decades, cricket has tightened its grip on India’s sports scene to such an extent that other equally deserving sports have been elbowed out, reduced to mere afterthoughts. What was once an elite pastime introduced by the British has grown into a national obsession. But has this obsession come at a cost?
Cricket isn’t just popular in India—it holds a similar sway over many developing and Third World nations. When the British introduced cricket to India, it was not intended to be a sport for the masses but rather a social marker. It was a playground for the elite, a reflection of colonial hierarchies where picking up a bat and ball symbolized racial and social equivalence with the British. For those among the colonized who afford to play, cricket offered a sense of parity with the rulers—an assertion that they, too, belong to the world of refined leisure.
Nonetheless, cricket remains an expensive indulgence. For millions of poor youth across India, the sport is more of a spectator’s dream than a real avenue for participation. While they watch the game with passion, becoming part of it remains a distant aspiration. Cricket’s infrastructure, including coaching academies, stadiums, and equipment, is concentrated mainly in urban areas, leaving rural and underprivileged athletes sidelined.
The result? Other sports—for example, football and field hockey—have been relegated to the bench, gasping for attention. Hockey, once India’s pride with multiple Olympic gold medals, now struggles to find sponsors, media coverage, or even audiences. Football, which commands cult followings in regions like Kerala, Goa, and West Bengal, lacks the financial muscle and glamour that cricket enjoys.
Fueled by non-stop media coverage and corporate sponsorship, the hype machine surrounding cricket has built a monopoly that crowds out every other sport. This skewed focus not only drains resources from other sporting disciplines but also limits India’s chances of producing world-class athletes in those fields.
Cricket’s glamour has grown to almost Bollywood proportions, with players becoming national heroes and fixtures in commercials. Yet, as cricket monopolizes the spotlight, the bigger question arises: can India become a multi-sport nation? Or will the hype continue to choke the growth of other games, burying their potential under cricket’s overwhelming shadow?
It’s time India diversified its sporting ambitions. Every corner of the nation harbors untapped talent—not just in cricket but in football fields, kabaddi courts, and hockey arenas. A broader vision for sports, with balanced investments and media attention, makes India a true sporting powerhouse. Until then, the over-hyped frenzy around cricket will keep marginalizing other deserving sports—and that’s a loss we can’t afford.
-Promod Puri
Promod Puri.com 