I am from India, a truly diverse country and a perfect illustration of “Unity in Diversity” where people belong to vastly different cultures, follow different religions, speak different languages and come from all different classes of society. I genuinely feel that diversity can act as a catalyst to innovation because it is different minds coming together to achieve a common goal. There are always some binding factors which bring all these diversities, with different beliefs and ideas, under one roof. In my country, it is Movies, Film Stars, Politics and most importantly, according to me "Cricket".
Since my childhood, I have always been fascinated by the amount of joy this game called “Cricket” brings to people. The level of excitement would surpass all kinds of happiness each time India goes out to play, and nothing could match the celebration if India won.
Technology has seen a drastic transformation, bringing a revolution in not only all industries of the economy but also almost all aspects of life - the way people perceive or approach something. The world of Cricket has been no exception. I have heard of many stories from my grandfather of their times when there was no television and they used the transistor radio to hear the commentary. Time changed, technology advanced digitally, and television came. The world has witnessed multiple digital innovations and now people can see a live cricket match, sitting comfortably on the couch in their living room, with a handful of snacks ranging from popcorn to pizza and their choice of soft drink. I still remember my family, after completing their daily chores early, would sit together glued to the television, to watch India play. This was digital innovation impacting people’s lives, when referring in terms of Cricket.
The game of Cricket has been part of India for over 200 years now, but the craze and madness surpassed the threshold with India winning the Coveted trophy “Cricket World Cup” for the very first time in 1983. For the nation, it is not just a game, but religion worshipped by more than a billion people. The digital impact could be visually and technically seen on the field as well.
The earlier form of Cricket was “Test Cricket” which still today remains the purest form when it comes to testing the overall technique of a cricketer. With the advancement in technologies from the use of Hot Spot to Hawk-Eye, Drones to Artificial Intelligence, Cricket, as a game, has also evolved from Test Cricket (5-day format) to One Day (ODI) to Twenty20 (T20), and now we are talking about T10. This is an indication that appetite for an innovative form of Cricket is just increasing and is stronger as never before. People are getting the opportunity to see new forms of Cricket which bring with them the variation - colour clothing, day-night matches, pink ball test matches and numbered jersey. With the franchise cricket picking up steam around the globe, India too has its share of contribution, after all, it is one of the powerhouses of Cricket - generating maximum revenue and boasting of being the wealthiest cricket board in the world. It is quite amazing to see who’s who of Cricketing world ready to come down to India to participate in the franchise cricket called “Indian Premier League”, where the teams from different Indian cities compete against each other. It is an excellent platform for aspiring young Indian Cricketers to play against the best in the business and at the same time acquire skills which will not only help them improve their game but also give them a real feel of the competitive nature of International Cricket. While the primary aim behind the game remains the same – scoring runs and defending the same by taking the wickets, but all other aspects have changed - from the way it is played to the game format, from the way it is organised to even the ball. Thanks to digital innovation.
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