Is Cricket losing its popularity amongst India's urban youth?

[Cricket Tragic]

F! will be the next big thing. Drivers like Karun Chandok will make a difference in that sense. The ones who support Manure and watch EPL are morons. I have said this many times' date= I would like these idiots to actually come to Manchester and walk the streets on a game night.

:cantstop:

[cowboysfan]

i donr think so,these guys now the money they can make if they have talent.i see more talent coming through in the next decade.

[jusarrived]

only 2-3 of my close friends watch cricket , so I kind a agree with the op . last year was in this sports bar ( indra nagar ,Blore ) to watch India vs SA T20 wc match & every screen they where playing a Manu vs liverpool (I think) match . shocking to see no one in that huge crowd was even bothered about Indias wc match . even last week i was in pune visiting a friend & an the whole time I was fighting for TV with him and other guys to watch the first test . infact at one time i was explaining him how test cricket works .

[cowboysfan]

its not about who watches these lame premiership games,talented youngsters will now that they have a shot at a successful cricket career than their predecessors making more than ever before.

[Guest Gunner]

As for F1 being the "next big thing" I doubt that can really happen in any country because F1 is such an elitist and lets be honest pretty rubbish "sport". You cant exactly go out and play F1 with your mates can you. Thats why sports like cricket, football will always be king because you can just pickup and play.

I was talking about viewership, I thought that was what this thread is about. With the new F1 GP to be held in India this year and some of our boys aspiring to make it to F1, the fan following will only increase. And yes F1 is a rubbish "sport". :haha::haha:

[jonas10]

Football is the most popular sport in over 120 countries. Hopefully there are interest in sports other than cricket cause our country is a laughing stock sucking so bad at it.

[Midfielder]

I really hope football takes over cricket as no 1 sport in India. I personally think both football and basketball are far more fun than cricket.

[IKnowU]

I really hope football takes over cricket as no 1 sport in India. I personally think both football and basketball are far more fun than cricket.

I agree. I will still love cricket though :icflove:

[Params7]

Was anybody in India when India won the WC? Every single "hardcore soccer fan" wad dancing in the streets. I know friends who hated on cricket and only watched soccer who watched the final. Soccer's popularity IS growing though, very fast and I hope this can somehow translate into India doing better in FIFA but I doubt it. I also think India's control on cricket world is actually hurting the sport. The sport itself is being stereotyped as an "Indian sport" and not an English one. "You like cricket? You must be Indian or Paki". The Indian networks in America have a stronghold on rights and display cricket on PPV with desi ads, imagine if you're an Aussie or English who wants to watch some cricket and you'd have to put out 200$ to see interruptions of Metlife Indianized cheesy ads and Gujrati matrimonials between overs. Its pathetic. And then not to mention BCCI's bully tactics. Tbh, I wouldn't mind India getting high on soccer for a while, even though I don't watch it. After Tendulkar and Dravid retire, cricket's popularity will take a massive fall among the youth and I'm not upset about it.

[pinkfreud]

I personally think both football and basketball are far more fun than cricket.

One of my favourite sports too. An absolute joy to watch, and I used to play it on a competitive level in school before I became a lazy a** and relegated myself to a mundane 9 to 5 life. The viewership for basketball in India is still in the nascent stages though. Hope it picks up.

[cowboysfan]

I really hope football takes over cricket as no 1 sport in India. I personally think both football and basketball are far more fun than cricket.

this is the dumbest thing i have ever heard on this board in 3 years.Football is for simpletons,cricket is a true test of team sports.

[punjabi_khota]

I would say about 300 years before football becomes bigger than cricket in India.

[Midfielder]

this is the dumbest thing i have ever heard on this board in 3 years.Football is for simpletons' date='cricket is a true test of team sports.[/quote'] Why do you feel that way. Other sports need teamwork too. I dont know if you have seen a basketball player(ithink you have) but a 300 lb guy doing alley hoop is more athletic than any cricket move ever. Basketball players are best pure athletes I have ever seen.

[Blue Panther]

No, its losing popularity only with the elite class.

[achilles]

Fact: People aspire to play IPL and make big bucks. Now there is just one sport which can guarantee them name, fame and moolah. And it is interesting too as a sport. I wouldn't read too much into a bar full of people watching a football game.

[Alchemist]

I used to play basketball. Represented my state and University. But had no choice since you dont earn enough money. The only jobs you get are in Banks or military institutions where you are done after some time and work some clerk job.

[don_corleone840]

cricket is 100 times more popular than football in india.I also follow football leagues,nba and grand slams but cricket will remain no1 preference for me.

[f.b.m]

F! will be the next big thing. Drivers like Karun Chandok will make a difference in that sense. The ones who support Manure and watch EPL are morons. I have said this many times' date=' I would like these idiots to actually come to Manchester and walk the streets on a game night.[/quote'] [ame=

HERE DA ESTATE‬‏ - YouTube[/ame] But this yo' gang is probably the most cringe-worthy 'movement' I have ever seen. More than Bieber fever and stuffs.

[Serani]

I live 2 miles from "da estate" Them bastards always come and steal from M14. And wow them hoes is bangin!

[Mariyam]

Interesting topic by the OP. In addition to many of the reasons already stated, I think there are three more reasons why cricket ( Test mainly) is losing popularity among urban Indians. 1) Psychological factors: When cricket was introduced in India it was also a niche sport, restricted to the few sultans and maharajas and the British. Elitism was so rampant, that even a super rich industrialist like Jamshetji Tata was denied entry and membership into a cricket club. As is the case with developing countries, especially India, many of our likes are aspirational likes. That is the likes are in aspiration of a better lifestyle,a higher social stature and a sign of upward mobility. That is why many common middle class urban Indians took an immediate liking towards cricket in the years after independence. Hitherto it had been beyond their reach. Everybody wanted to be a part of this elite game and over the years because of mass support ( for other reasons also, I admit, like ODIs and patriotism) cricket was no longer a niche sport. Same is the case with football among the urban youth today. A football follower thinks ( at times sub consciously) himself to be a league above a cricket fans on the social ladder, as football is associated with the richer countries of Western Europe. It is interesting to note, that no Indian football lover follows Brazilian league or Mexican league which probably are just as competitive as those in Europe, but not as glamorous. After a few years, this would also not have a niche following. Then maybe some other game would creep in. 2) Economics: Maybe DomainK or someone working in th advertising industry can explain this better. The ad rates ( in lakhs of rupees per second of ad) are multiple times higher for English football league games and IPL games than they are for test matches. And infinitely higher than they are for Ranji matches. Think of it from a broadcaster point of view. Why the hell would he show 5*10 ( or how many ever hours a test match lasts a day) hours of cricket when the game has poor reach and he can't make enough dough. He'd make more running re-runs of an IPL game or of England vs Barcelona or whatever. I don't think that Ranji is even self supporting anymore. Domestic cricket in India must be a big loss making enterprise. Apart from IPL, that is. Why in the world would a broadcaster show Ranji? It will be interesting to have a look at BCCI's revenues and expenses by cricket type ( 20-20 vs ODI vs Test). If anyone could source this data, I would be really grateful. This being a cricket forum and having higher than usual % of people interested in cricket, even here I don't find anyone discussing Ranji cricket. Haven't seen a single thread or even a post on domestic cricket. Even by the Mullah Omars of the test match Taliban here on ICF. :P How long before BCCI abandons its problem child? 3) Demographics: In present urban Indian habitats, a lot of females have taken to watching sports. Sports for us ( those who don't play any cricket) is just another form of entertainment. Sport has to compete with other sports, movies, music, plays, etc etc etc. I just don't see what exactly test cricket has to offer to such viewers. It has zero marketability. I'd find it very odd ( and rare) if a girl actually likes test cricket. Test cricket loses out on this entire chunk of the population. Don't see test cricket making any inroads into this market segment either. For youngsters today ( both guys and girls) entertainment has to be instant. It is the age of entertainment. And cricket ( Tests mainly) are an exact anti thesis to that. @ OP : Football craze in India, among many other things were discussed in a lighter vein in this thread.