Although hockey is India’s official national sport, nothing compares to cricket in terms of excitement and public support. You might also additionally discover human beings of every age gambling cricket on fields, roads, or even garages from Jammu and Kashmir withinside the north to Tamil Nadu withinside the south; from Rajasthan withinside the west to Arunachal Pradesh withinside the east.
The British brought cricket to India, and it gradually gained popularity among the Indian monarchy; the British departed India in 1947, but cricket stayed. Cricket has grown in popularity to the point that each game is treated as a festival, and the stature of an ace Indian player is comparable to that of a deity.
It’s no surprise that every Indian youngster dreams of pursuing a career in cricket; nevertheless, only hard effort, skill, and a little luck can take you from a novice to a master cricketer. We’ll learn how to get into an Indian cricket team in this one post.
Steps To Follow:
- You must be athletic and hardworking to pursue a career in cricket and make an Indian squad. It is preferable to begin at an early age.
To begin, you must first join a local cricket club or team. You may then work your way up through the stages based on how well you do. If the cricket club you wish to join has trials, your best chance is to locate a cricket coach who can teach you and provide you with further information regarding trial dates. Working one-on-one can help you improve your technique and address any weaknesses you may have. Learn how to be an all-rounder and improve your cricket skills by practicing at home.
- You may have been spotted by regional under-13, under-15, or under-19 teams if you started extremely young at your local club. In local leagues within the same state, these teams compete against one another. Eventually, the best players from the league are chosen for state teams based on their age.
Other talented cricketers can apply to professional clubs or be summoned to participate in the league, which is divided into categories or divisions. These clubs are where the players for the open state team are chosen. This is the most typical route to becoming a member of an Indian cricket team and working as a professional player in the country. Here you may discover more about the Indian Premier League and how it operates.
Even as an adult, you may compete in city selection for a spot on the regional squad if you put in a lot of effort and perform well. This is the second stage of a cricket career; the competition becomes more difficult at this level. Continue to practice hard and deliberately, and put forth a strong showing on the field.
When looking for a local club, check to see whether they are affiliated with a regional Cricket Association. The more contacts you have and the more opportunities you have to get spotted by an Indian cricket team, the better!
If you play well and stand out in the district and state-wide events, you may be picked for Ranji Trophy matches. Successful performance in Ranji contests can help you much. Again, you must be confident on the field and continue to practice and train as hard as you can.
Do you have any reservations about this procedure? For further information, see What is the Ranji Trophy Selection Process.
- If your performance in the Ranji Trophy matches is remarkable, you may be selected for the Indian national cricket squad. Some players, such as the fastest cricket bowlers, specialize in a specific format of the game and maybe picked to play test matches, One Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 matches, and who knows, they may even become one of the finest cricket bowlers of all time.
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Domestic Structure
First Class Cricket
Each country has its own internal framework. India, too, has its own domestic framework. The Ranji Trophy is regarded as the final event for any player before representing India. The Ranji Trophy was named after Ranjitsinhji, the first Indian cricketer to participate in international competitions. To play for the trophy, teams from each state and cricket association must qualify. The Ranji Trophy is now played by 38 teams. A team squad, on average, comprises 15 players. This implies that 570 first-class players are contending for a spot in Team India’s 15-man roster. Getting into Team India is not an easy feat. Another point that should not be overlooked is that those 570 players originate from a population of 1.35 billion people, which paints a stronger image of how professional these guys are.
Another notable first-class competition held in India is the Duleep Trophy. The competition was structured in such a way that it was made up of zone teams. Each state has been subdivided into five zones: north, south, east, west, and central. The BCCI chose players who played well for their states in the Ranji Trophy for zonal teams. This format was altered to include only three teams: India Blue, India Green, and India Red. Many criticize this setup, however, the concept behind it is to bring in the most competitive and skillful Ranji players.
Irani Cup pits the best against the best. The match is between the winner of the Ranji Trophy and the rest of India. Other than the players from the winning team, the Rest of India squad is made up of players who have excelled in the Ranji Trophy. The trophy was named after Z.R Irani, who worked for the BCCI from 1926 until his death in 1970.
List A Cricket
There is also a structure in white-ball cricket, which is known as List A. The Ranji One Day Trophy replaces the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then there’s the Deodhar Trophy, which is contested by three teams. These teams are India A, India B, and India C, and they are made up of the best white-ball cricketers in the country.
T20 Cricket
In the T20 format, India has the world’s largest cricket league. According to Duff & Phelps, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is valued at USD 6.7 billion. This league has transformed the game, and since its introduction, numerous cricket boards have established their own leagues. Without a doubt, the IPL is one of the world’s largest and most competitive competitions. The opposition draws competition from everywhere in the world. Each team’s starting XI shall have four international players and four local players. Individual owners are solely responsible for team selection. Each team is looking for the greatest mix. The selection of local players is based on their performance in first-class and List A events.
National Cricket Team Selection
Every nation that actively participates in cricket has an A-Squad in addition to its national team. To pay your way to your country’s National Cricket Team, you must first become a member of the A-Team; however, this is not a required step. Players that excel at the national level are given the opportunity to join the A-Team. All of the nations’ A-Teams compete against each other so that aspiring cricketers may obtain practice on international surfaces. To earn a berth on the national squad, you must work your fingers to the bone.
Aside from the possibility of becoming a member of the national team, you may also work in a franchise and participate in leagues organized in other nations. IPL India, County Cricket England, BBL Australia, and other well-known Cricket leagues are popular among players. However, if you are an Indian national, be sure to read the BCCI criteria before joining one of these.
Believe in Yourself
The final tip in our guide to becoming a cricketer is to trust in yourself, and the results will come. Many players in Indian cricket history rose to prominence by defying the odds and believing in their abilities. Some of them are listed below:
- Umesh Yadav: Son of a Coal Miner
- Ravindra Jadeja: Son of a watchman
- Mohammed Shami: Son of a Farmer
- Munaf Patel: Son of a landless factory labourer who worked for ₹ 35 rupees per day
- Ms Dhoni: Worked as a Ticket collector
- Wasim Jaffer: Son of a bus driver
- Virender Sehwag: Traveled 84 km daily to practice
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