Cricket is a game that goes back for centuries. From its earliest beginnings in a corner of England, the game has blossomed into a global phenomenon encompassing a large percentage of the world’s countries.
But how exactly has it been evolving in the 21st century? This century has seen major global changes in many areas, of course, thanks to advancements in communications, technology, and transportation. This has had an effect on cricket, as well. Let’s take a closer look.
Pre-21st century
Cricket has its origins in 13th-century England. Having started as a small-scale, local game played among children, it started to spread to other parts of England by the 17th century, and soon after the first official cricket club was born.
The game started to spread to British colonies in the 1700s, and it quickly gained popularity in pre-independent India (which now encompasses the current-day areas of Pakistan and Bangladesh). With the advent of modern forms of technology, such as radio and television, it became popularized even further. More people started watching and listening to games through the various available channels, and as a result, more and more clubs started being formed. People started playing as much for recreation as they did for serious competition.
By the end of the 20th century, the game had become truly global, as can be seen by the cricket World Cup results. Although it retains greater popularity in certain parts of the world more than others, there are definitely more and more countries that are getting on board.
Twenty20 cricket
The most significant advancement this century has been the rise of Twenty20 cricket. This phenomenon is largely a response to the often endless-seeming games that can go on in the sport. While some people might have the time to sit through matches that last for three days, this number of people is becoming fewer and fewer.
The answer to this was to create a version of the game that catered to the modern attention span, yet still preserved the aspects that people come to watch. Twenty20 is basically the three-hour version of what people used to sit through for days.
This type of cricket began in 2003. It has since led to innovations in the game that have become very popular. Among other things, big hitters who used to play through 360 degrees have begun to diversify their deliveries in such a way that fielding as a whole has taken on a new shape.
It didn’t take long for this style of cricket to start taking off. In 2004, women started getting involved. And soon after, the game went international. Thanks to the overwhelming popularity of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, a new Premier League was created in India soon thereafter.
And it was not long after this that other leagues started being developed in other countries, as well. There are now 33 leagues in different countries, and tournaments are proliferating.
Wagering on the sport
A natural development alongside the increasing popularity of the sport has been an increased interest in betting. People now feverishly follow the development of individual teams and are eager to try their luck at betting on them. In addition to an increasing number of viewing platforms, there is now a wide range of discussion groups, online forums, and statistical sites available to help people study the game and watch how their favorite teams are faring against one another. You can find a IPL betting app on which you can find numerous ways to put down bets on your favorite teams.
What does the 22nd century hold?
What the future holds is yet to be seen, of course. But there is no doubt that it will be even more exciting than what we’re seeing now. Athletes are getting better trained, studying the techniques of the sport better. Coaches are becoming better versed in psychology and leadership. There is growing participation among women and in countries that weren’t previously interested in the sport. And fervor for the game is increasing both within communities and internationally. For all these reasons, the next century promises to be even more spectacular than previous ones.