“You don’t win or lose the game because of the 11 you select; you win or lose with what those 11 do on the field.”
Rahul Dravid (The Consistent & Dependable Indian Cricket Wall)
Far from being a sport in India, cricket is the country’s lifeline. Binding millions of fans together. Men in blue are the heartthrobs of millions of cricket fans and their journey from 1930 till now is commendable. The Indian cricket team played their debut test match in 1931 after which there was no looking back.
From classic five-day test leagues to exciting one-day cricket and the most recent as well as enthralling Twenty-Twenty format, the game of cricket has seen it all. To further boost the adventure and fun, this actionable sport has been gaining traction in the fantasy cricket landscape which allows the fans to experience the thrill even more.
What’s This Fantasy Cricket Story All About?
Yes, you heard right, the fantasy concept let the sports lovers play cricket and win real money. Fantasy cricket, which was considered far-fetched a few years ago is now one of the most well-known virtual games in India. The increased internet penetration and affordable smartphones have made the future of this whole idea bright in our country. As of now, the participants can play this online game in major formats like Twenty-Twenty, ODIs, and Test cricket.
The voyage has been full of struggles and surprises for the Blue Tigers. Want to grab a bite of this interesting journey? Let’s begin:
How Indian Cricket Players Got Polished Over The Cricket Journey?
Indian cricketers have been playing the game even before independence but for the English team when the country was under British rule. The real potential of these legends got exposed post-independence and as of now, the squad is administered by BCCI and a full-time member of ICC.
The initial span was a bit tough for the Indian cricket team players after the debut match in 1931 but they earned their first test match win in 1952 in opposition to England. Gradually, the team started improving and in 1961-62 the Team Blue won their first test series against the same team. Also, the team grabbed some more titles in a couple of subsequent years against giants like New Zealand.
Did 1970 Mark The Beginning Of A Golden Era For The Blue Tigers?
In the 1970s the Blue squad became even more powerful as a few cricket gems started showcasing their finest skills such as Gavaskar, Prassana, Bishan Bedi, and many others. In the late 1970s, the team got one of the best cricketers to date in the form of Kapil Dev who was the man behind the squad’s victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup.
Ravi Shastri and Mohammad Azharuddin were two other notable legends who participated in the championship. Another remarkable thing about the victory was that the players managed themselves as there was no coach.
The late 1980s marked the presence of two of the finest and most brilliant cricketers in Indian history like the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and Kumble. The India national cricket team experienced a rough patch in the 1990s when some players got stuck in a match-fixing case.
However, this calamity paved the way for another cricket rock star Sourav Ganguly and he took over the command of the team in his hands. Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, and Irfan Pathan were a couple of gems who added value to the game with their talent.
Was That The Beginning Of An Era Comprising A Young & Sturdy Blue Squad?
Earlier, the Indian cricket team was more on the quiet side but with youngsters like Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh added to the team, the Blue Tigers became much more aggressive and passionate.
One major shift came to the Indian cricket squad when MS Dhoni entered as a wicketkeeper and eventually became the coolest skipper. Later, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and many other players emerged as some of the finest cricketers. Today, the squad is known to be a perfect blend of agility and expertise.
During MS Dhoni age the premier leagues started gaining traction and the concept of IPL came into the mainstream. Also, due to the league-format, fantasy cricket websites became a worldwide sensation. Now there are millions of crazy fantasy fans all over the globe.
The transition of the Blue squad has been a wheel of fortune but to get a deeper insight let’s explore some milestones and the heroes who have made them possible through their phenomenal performance on local and international grounds? No right? Let’s get rolling, then:
How Many Unique Records the Men in Blue Hold as Of Now?
It’s a well-known fact that the Blue Tigers have been the world champions twice (1983 and 2011). Also, four times the team managed to enter the semi-finals and stood as the runners-up in the 2003 World Cup Championship. The legendary Indian cricket players have made a few unique records that are the toughest to be broken. Here are some of them:
I. The Haryana Hurricane Kapil Dev is the only cricketer to score 5,000 runs and grab more than 400 wickets in international Test matches.
II. The Little Master Sunil Gavaskar is the first test cricket player to score more than 10000 runs.
III. The Indian Cricket’s dependable wall Rahul Dravid is the batsman to face the maximum number of balls (31258) in test matches.
IV. Virat Kohli has the highest batting average of more than 50 in T20 internationals.
V. Dhoni holds the record of hitting the maximum number of sixes (200) in 315 innings which he played across all formats.
VI. The brilliant fielder Ajinkya Rahane being the first non-keeper holds the record for taking the most number of catches in a test match.
VII. Rohit Sharma has a couple of unique records in his name such as scoring a double century thrice and making 100 runs four times in Twenty20 cricket.
How Does The Future Look Like For The Men In Blue? Are They Prepared To Face The ICC Twenty20 Championship Next Year?
In the year 2020, ICC is going to organize the T20 Men’s World Cup for the seventh time in Australia. The tournament will be played among 16 teams and there will be 45 matches in total starting from October 2020.
The team India won the last ICC title in 2007but mostly these tournaments have tested their patience to the peak. The contemporary BCCI president Sourav Ganguly made a strong statement where he admitted that Blue Tigers will have to triumph the upcoming ICC World Cup title if they want to retain the authority they own for the game.
Virat Kohli & Co. has a great line-up with some amazing players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Jaspreet Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, Mohammad Shami, and others. Also, Sanju Samson, Krunal Pandya, and Manish Pandey will be a couple of gems from whom the entire nation has expectations on.
The final Indian cricket team players list for ICC 2020 World Cup isn’t disclosed yet but the squad has to work hard and polish their skills like never before as the tournament is going to be the toughest with some of the best teams like the host Australia, Sri Lanka, England, and New Zealand participating.
Australian pitches are hard and hence Indian batsmen have to be cautious of spinners as the bowl might turn unpredictably. As per cricket experts, there are a couple of young stars who might be added to the squad for the 2020 World Cup.
Shubham Gill, Shivam Dube, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer are some of the top names among these rising cricketers. Wicket-keeping is still an area of concern for the Men in Blue as considering Pant for the role could be risky.
Along with the World Cup title, the Blue Tigers will be going to New Zealand in February 2020 which will be another visual treat for the cricket fans. There are a total of 9 ODIs, 5 tests, and 12 T20 tournaments lined-up in the year and hence it’s going to be a cricket carnival.
What Could Be The Cherry On The Cake For The Fantasy Lovers In The World Championship (2020)?
Fantasy cricket fans are crazy about witnessing the biggest event next year in the form of the ICC World Cricket Championship. They are all set to cherry-pick some of their hot favorites and build a strong team that can let them win the game and earn lucrative rewards.
Cricket stars like Virat and Rohit are immensely popular among Indian fantasy participants. They can consider picking many other players in the subsequent World Cup 2020 such as Dhawan, Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Pandya.
The Final Say
As of now, predicting anything wouldn’t make sense, yet we all are hoping that the team will perform excellently in the World Cup 2020. Among the rumors and guesses, one thing is definite that the championship would be a feast to cricket lovers’ eyes.
The India national cricket team has shown great potential till now and that’s what the fans are expecting next year as well. With this thought signing off by wishing oodles of luck to the Blue Tigers!! Make us proud like always.
