India won the Men’s Cricket World Cup on Saturday, beating South Africa, ending a drought in the tournament that lasted more than a decade despite the country’s dominance of the global sport in other ways including talent, money and clout.
Tournaments were held on several Caribbean islands, with some taking place in the United States, including at a makeshift stadium in New York. When the final in Barbados ended, with India crowned champions, it was close to midnight and happy crowds filled the streets of several cities.
“Maybe you’ll understand it in a few hours, but it feels great,” said India captain Rohit Sharma, who visited the stadium with his daughter on his shoulders and thanked the crowd. . “Crossing boundaries – it feels great for everyone.”
It was a close game and an exciting one for India, partly because many of its senior players, including the 37-year-old Sharma, are nearing the end of their careers. The last time India won the T20 World Cup was in 2007, when Sharma was just starting out, the shortest format of cricket. Also missing out on the top prize was 35-year-old Virat Kohli, one of cricket’s biggest icons. India head coach Rahul Dravid has never won a World Cup in his long and illustrious playing career.
All three ended the night on a high note, with Sharma and Kohli announcing their retirement from the fast-paced short format. Dravid, who ends his tenure as India’s head coach, is usually a quiet, stoic man. But after winning, he screamed in celebration.
Indian President Drupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi both congratulated the team. “On the pitch, you won the World Cup. But in the villages, streets and communities of India, you won the hearts of our countrymen.
Cricket, followed by hundreds of millions, is an important part of India’s global brand – perhaps even more important than the country’s film industry. Indian cricket’s governing body has sometimes been accused of using its vast economic clout to dictate the terms of global cricket events, a reflection of its status as a destination for its wealthiest contributors and the world’s best players.
The launch of the Indian Premier League in 2007 transformed a sport once seen as slow and cash-strapped. In just 17 years, the league’s brand value has exceeded US$10 billion, making it one of the richest sports leagues in the world. Players typically receive contracts worth more than $1 million during a season that lasts about eight weeks, with some of the highest-paying deals approaching $3 million.
Last year, India launched the IPL’s sister league, the Women’s Super League, with a $500 million investment – an investment similar to that used to launch the men’s league – and is already expanding opportunities for Indian women and talent around the world. The league’s wealth means more investment in the grassroots to develop more players. Female athletes, long cast in the shadow of the men’s game, are now looking for brand endorsements, bigger TV audiences and thousands of people in stadiums to watch them play.
Foreign players in both leagues have large domestic followings and have given India a PR boost by using social media to express their admiration for the diverse country’s culture when they play across the country.
India is a cricket-mad nation that closely monitors every move its players make on and off the field, and many of the stars of this generation serve as role models who can help the country make progress on social issues, especially when it comes to public life still being dominated by men. host.
Captain Sharma is married to a sports management professional while Kohli is married to an actor and they often talk about the role their partners play in their careers. Sharma’s wife Ritika Sajdeh and daughter often accompany him during tours, while Kohli often has video calls with his family at the stadium after matches.
“Our daughter’s biggest worry is whether anyone will be able to hug the players when she sees them crying on TV,” Kohli’s wife Anushka Sharma posted on social media after the win.
Jasprit Bumrah, who was named the World Cup MVP, gave a post-awards interview to his wife, broadcaster Sanjana Ganesan. This is a working couple on tour. Behind them sat their 10-month-old baby in a stroller during the celebration.
“Thank you very much for speaking with us, Jasprit, and I wish you all the best,” Ms. Ganesan said as she concluded the interview. But before she could finish, her husband hugged her and ran back to celebrate with his teammates.
