Cricket during the time of FWC? Am I kidding?
Well, that is exactly the point. It is about cricket at the time of Football.
The Football World Cup started on 11th June, 2026. In the month since its start, the Indian fans have marvelled at the capacity of the small nations (Curacao) to make a mark, the incredible resilience of Cabo Verde, the rise of the African nations, the fall of some European giants (Germany, Netherlands), Ronaldo’s un-noteworthy exit, Brazil’s predictable exit (in the last 6 world cups, they have lost to the first European team they played in the knockouts), England’s glimmer of hope, the radiance of Messi, the continued dominance of Mbappe and the rise of a new giant Haaland.
In the same period, in Cricket, this happened. Indian women got knocked out in the league stages in the T20 World Cup despite Harmanpreet, Smriti, Shefali in the ranks. The men’s team lost to Ireland 2-0 ( our first series loss to them ever) and lost two successive matches to England – the second one rather embarrassingly – making it the 4th straight loss in T20s for the world champion.
We also blooded Prince Yadav and a media hyped Prince Vaibhav Suryavanshi into the Indian team.
Outside of dedicated websites like Cricbuzz and Cricinfo, no one seemed to notice or no one bothered. There was no palpable buzz about the youngest Indian ever representing us.
If WhatsApp groups were a barometer of the public mood, the FWC showed what caught India’s imagination and what is rapidly slipping out.
A decade back – a dismal show of four back to back losses, being knocked out in the group stages would have guaranteed a media trial – Arnab would have screamed for Gambhir’s exit. But nothing happened.
The greatest risk any sport, politician or event faces is ignorance. If a win is ignored it is sad news, if a loss does not cause any hurt and gets ignored, it is ignominy.
Beneath the glitz and glamour of a billion dollar IPL is a lurking danger Indian cricket is facing. Too much availability and exposure. The game has lost its mystique and lure. If the debut of a 15 year old does cricketer creates lesser hype than that of a 18 year old footballer (Yamal), many have to stand up and take notice.
There are lessons for everyone- a marketer, an aspiring non-cricket player and a Cricket administrator.
For the marketer, while cricket still has mass appeal– the discerning fan is moving away, especially the youngster. Ask a 15-20 year old kid what they watch and you know the answer.
For a kid choosing non-cricket sports, this a golden opportunity to make a mark. India is opening its hearts and wallets to new sports. Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh get more much media mileage than most cricketers.
For a cricket administrator? Cricket in a multi dollar industry, it gives jobs and livelihood to millions of Indians. It is the goose that is laying golden eggs. But, it is staring at a risk – the risk of reaching peak consumption?
Too much exposure, too much control (what Trump did to Balogun is what India is regularly doing in Cricket – think Champions trophy where India played all its matches in Dubai), too much pandering to the batsmen with impact player rule, preparing flat pitches( where hitting sixes is as easy as going for a stroll) taking the contest out of the game- is killing the sport.
With T 20 world cups happening ever two years, cricketers on a treadmill playing almost every other day, there is ALMOST nothing to look forward to in Cricket.
If a wakeup call is needed, there cannot be a more stark one.
We have seen how star obsessed and over exposed Bollywood has lost its pole position in Indian entertainment.
If no corrective action is taken, Cricket might be headed the same way.
