The Complexities of Cricket in India

Cricket, a colonial import, has swamped other sports in terms of popularity in India and across South Asia. Today, given the large number of people who live in the region, it is the world’s second most-watched sport after soccer. Due to this widespread appeal, cricket has become a huge commercial enterprise that not only enriches players and corporate sponsors, but also is mired in politics. In the decades since independence, the sport has occasionally acted as a bridge between traditional enemies India and Pakistan, though even that tenuous bond has frayed in recent years.