How To Love Cricket

It’s more than just cheering when India wins

Did you know that one India–Pakistan cricket match can make about $250 million? That sounds huge! But that number doesn’t really tell us if cricket is healthy all over the world.

In the men’s T20 World Cup, there are 20 teams. But many of the smaller teams don’t get to play strong “full member” teams very often. That means they don’t get enough chances to improve or show their talent. Even in places like the West Indies, which has won the T20 World Cup twice, cricket isn’t as popular as it used to be.

In football, FIFA spends a lot of money helping the sport grow in many countries. But in cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) gives most of its money to just a few powerful countries. This makes it harder for the game to grow everywhere.

Cricket will be played in the 2028 Summer Olympics, which is exciting! But it could have happened earlier. One reason it didn’t is that the ICC didn’t want to change its busy schedule of big tournaments.

So, cricket still has work to do if it wants to become truly global.

But we fans also need to think about how we love the game.

Indian fans are very passionate. We fill stadiums and watch matches in huge numbers. But in England, local county cricket matches still attract loyal fans. In India, matches like the Ranji Trophy or Duleep Trophy often don’t get the same attention. That shows something important: maybe we are starting to love only big, flashy matches.

Today, cricket in India is often shown in a very dramatic way — especially during India vs other countries. This can increase excitement and TV ratings. But if we only celebrate when our national team wins, we might forget to enjoy the sport itself — the skill, teamwork, and spirit of the game.

To truly love cricket means:

• Watching and supporting domestic matches too
• Appreciating good play, even from the other team
• Caring about the growth of cricket in smaller countries
• Loving the game, not just the victory

Cheering for your country is wonderful. But loving cricket means loving the sport — in every form, everywhere.

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