Brief History of Cricket In India

In 1792, the first professional club was founded in Calcutta, and the second was Seringapatam in 1799. The first match was played in Mumbai in 1848, and the first championship was in 1864, starting with a meeting between Madras and Calcutta.

Before the early 19th century, cricket developed rapidly in the country, allowing the Indian team to tour Great Britain for international matches in 1911.

In 1926, the Marylebone Cricket Club team made a playing tour across India, greatly increasing the game's popularity among the population. Spectators especially remembered C. K Nayudu - a legendary player whose skills amazed even the most sophisticated fans.

Two years later, The Board of Control for Cricket was founded, under whose auspices the first official test match was played in 1932. Today, The Board of Control for Cricket includes 12 teams that play 50 games between them.

The first tournament, called the Ranji Trophy in honor of Prince Ranji, began in 1935. The prince himself had studied in England, where he played cricket passionately and performed well. This contributed immensely to the popularization of the sport in India.

The Ranji Trophy is held in central India, with the remaining teams competing in a separate cup, after which the two winners meet in a final bout.

The first-ever Ranji Trophy was won by a team from Mumbai, which went on to become national champion more than once. India is also showing excellent results on the international stage, and its main rival is the team from England.

In the 2000s, India's national team were at the peak of their form with the arrival of talented young players, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who later became the captain and led the team to the championship in 2007.