The great Indian cricket fan

Being an Indian, I am by default a cricket fan. I do not have any brothers, so there was comparatively less cricket talk over dinner and even lesser fighting over the remote control. Yet, the obsession that comes with cricket in India is inescapable. Be it an animated analysis of the match in the bus during school time or animated blogging about it now; the means to express ourselves might have changed, but the emotions have not. It is hard to be objective about cricket in a country starved of sporting heroes like ours. Cricket is perhaps the one sport where the national team has done consistently well over the past decade, and is perhaps the only sport where we seem to be able to exercise a tremendous amount of clout, which gives all of us a lot of pride. The popularity of the sport has ensured that most boys and perhaps girls also, pick up a cricket bat before they even think of any other sport.

I obviously always want the Indian Cricket team to do well. Sheesh, I would be crucified if I did not. I will be termed not ‘patriotic’ enough. I obviously also have to call Sachin ‘God’. Else, I am not a ‘true cricket lover’. But all of this is in good humour. I can totally relate to being passionate about a sport or a sportsperson. It is just that, with cricket, we Indians take the madness to an all new level. I find the behaviour of people pre-match, during the match and post-match very fascinating. The smartest of people start thinking from their hearts, the not-so-smart people start doling out ‘gyan’, in the heat of the moment people forget propriety and abusing just comes with the territory, some people lose their appetite, some become devotional singing hymns and chanting prayers while some are so superstitious that if you were to ask them to stand on one leg, they would happily do it. The Indian cricket fan is diverse, complicated and emotional, just like India is.

I have seen several people – friends, family, acquaintances, and random strangers, who epitomize the various facets of a cricket fan. This post is an attempt to categorize these fans. It is by no means an attempt to mock anyone. To anyone who does feel offended, let me just say that ‘Sachin is God’. Phew, all mistakes will now be forgiven.

1. The ‘Harsha Bhogles’ of the neighbourhood

These people know their cricket. Watching a match with them is great fun because they make sensible comments and are knowledgeable. Most often, your kid brother or his friends end up in this group.

2. The ‘Sidhus’ of the neighbourhood

To every yin there is a yang. You must have definitely come across people who have to comment on every ball, every run taken or worse, not taken. These people may not have anything significant to say, but nonetheless they will. The next door uncle or your far-off relative might more often than not be a part of this group.

3. The ‘Virat Kohli is so hot’ fans

Confession time; I might actually be a part of this elite group. I can appreciate a good cover shot or a yorker as much as I can appreciate beauty. Most girls end up in this category, but let me add a rider to this. There are lots of girls who are thorough cricket fans and a cricketer being good looking is immaterial to them.

4. The connoisseurs

I am sure you must have heard your parents say: “Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were the real deal” quite often. The members of this group love Test cricket. They are disenchanted with the gross commercialization of the sport, the shenanigans surrounding IPL and the lack of technique in the current crop of players. They will rather watch classics of the eras gone by than watch a current match.

5. The mathematicians

Every group has one of these characters. They know all the stats and figures and quote them at the drop of a hat. Right from the average strike rates to the number of times Ravi Shastri says ‘electrifying’.

6. The superstitious

They will not let you sit where you want to sit. They will not let you move your limbs. They might not even allow you to go to the restroom. Yes, these people are the ones we should all be thanking when India wins a match.

Which category do you fall in?