Cricket is the most popular sport in India which is recognized as the unofficial national sport of India. The development of Indian cricket has been closely tied up with the history of India. With the expansion of British rule throughout the subcontinent, the British took the game with them wherever they went. The British first introduced cricket to India in 18th century. The early history of Indian cricket was focused largely on the big cities.In 1952, India went on to capture its first Test series win against neighbouring Asian counterpart and archrivals Pakistan. Some of the great players who represented the country with great distinction during that era, included batsmen Polly Umrigar, Vijay Manjrekar and leg spinner SM Gupte.

The game of cricket has generated a whole lot of unforgettable personalities, and this does not only consist of players. Unlike most other sports, where only the performers are remembered, cricket has equally immortalised coaches umpires and even commentators.The personality of players is further strengthened by the fact that they continue to serve the game after retirement.Some of the Indian Cricket personalities include Sourabha Ganguly, Sachin tendulkar, rahul Dravis, Ravi Shastri, Kapil Dev.

The game of cricket has always been compared to religion in India and it is undoubtedly one of the most popular games in India, at the moment. The game is being played in India at different levels. The Indian people play the game at school level, college level, district level, state level, national level and also in the international level. In order to govern the game and also to maintain a high standard of cricket, there are several cricket associations in India. The Indian cricket associations are formed at various levels like district cricket associations, state cricket associations or women`s cricket association. The national body for governing the game in India is the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).

Domestic Indian cricket has a history dating back to almost the same time as Indian International history. Thus India, by naming its premier domestic championships after pioneers who have contributed immensely to the game, pays tribute to them by bringing out generations of world class cricketers, who come into the national side, after making a mark in the following competitions. Some of the trophies of Domestic Indian cricket are Duleeph Trophy, Ranjee Trophy, Irani trophy, Deodhar Trophy, and the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy.

The place of severe activity during a match, where millions throng to see their favourites in action, India has not at all compromised in making its cricket stadia fully acceptable with respect to international standards. These stadiums have hosted the world cup as early as 1987, and along with Pakistan and Srilanka, during the 1996 world cup.SOme of the famous indian Cricket Stadiums are Eden garden, Kolkat, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi and Chinaswami Stadium, Bangalore.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni of Indian Cricket Team is a reckless hitter who whips the opponent bowling with his lashing bat to make runs shower on the Indian side. He is the Present Captain of One dayer Matches.M S Dhoni was born and brought up in the city of Ranchi. Mahendra Singh Dhoni made history by winning the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup after a dream final against archrivals Pakistan.