[WATCH] Indian players discuss growing popularity of cricket in India

It’s not new to someone who knows cricket in India. Going to any small localities or slums, there is a requirement for a bat and ball, and the game is on. Whether it’s beside a building, a small premises, or anywhere, there is joy. This is the sport that binds the entire country and its various characters.

In a recent documentary by the BBC, called ‘Abhishek Bachchan: Cricket, India & Me’, various players, Jos Buttler, Mitali Raj, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, have joined the famous Bollywood actor, Abhishek Bachchan, in shedding light on how cricket can be a force for good in India.

‘On that field, everybody is equal, and it’s how good you are at that sport. A lot of that has been highlighted and has increased after, say, the IPL (Indian Premier League) started.’ Junior Bachchan expressed in a video posted by the BBC.

Watch: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mitali Raj discuss cricket’s growing popularity in India

‘Crocket certainly feels like a great social leveller in India. I think there are some incredible success stories that you hear (of) Yashasvi Jaiswal, Chetan Sakariya, and two great examples in the Rajasthan Royals of how cricket has completely changed their lives.’ Jos Buttler, the former England captain, who has been a regular member of the IPL since 2018, addressed.

‘Of course, it’s not easy for a poor village to come to Mumbai and be with the smart kids in Mumbai because you feel nervous, you don’t know how to speak English, you don’t know anything because you are not educated that much, and they will keep teasing you as a kid. It’s hard.’ The Indian opening batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, shed light.

‘You have all sorts of players coming from different parts of the country. At the end, the talent and the performance speak louder and in that sense, I think cricket is a social leveller.’ The former captain of the India women’s cricket team, Mitali Raj, expressed in the video. Apart from these members, Amitabh Bachchan and Jamimah Rodrigues are also part of the video, where they discuss the rise of the game in India over the years, especially after the start of the IPL.