The History of Cricket in Colonial India

From gentleman’s game to communal battleground

This essay was written by Avish Patel: a student from India

Introduction

Cricket, as a global sport, enjoys immense popularity in the Indian subcontinent, where the remnants of colonialism have significantly influenced society through this sport. Although the game was initially played in the British Isles, it was gradually embraced by the newly colonized populations of the subcontinent. While it is often regarded as a 'Gentleman's Sport', it has witnessed intense rivalries between nations that compete on the 22 yards rather than merely on the field.

Matches like India vs. Pakistan draw millions of viewers from all around the world, including people from both countries who live abroad. Recently, their encounter in the ICC Champion’s Trophy 2025 garnered 600 million views in television ratings.

Nevertheless, my argument in this article centres on the communalism of cricket during British India, beginning with the formation of religiously based cricket clubs and culminating in the partition between the two nations. The statement here is that this gentleman's sport was ultimately shaped by the principles of divide and rule implemented by the British government of India.

Early History of Cricket in England

"Hail Cricket! glorious, manly, British game!
First of all sports! be first alike in fame;
To thee, fam’d Surrey, does the praise belong,
That nurs’d thy infant years, and made thee strong...
Long mayst thou live, the favour’d child of ease,
The pride of Britons, and the boast of seas!"

This poem represents the earliest known cricket poem composed in English, detailing a match that occurred between Kent and England on June 18, 1744, at the Artillery Ground in Central London. The poem is recited by the dedicated fans present at the venue, who are cheering for their preferred teams.

The exact origin of cricket remains uncertain, as various theories exist concerning the etymology of the term. Some scholars propose that it is derived from the French word 'Crequet,' which translates to a club, whereas others contend that it comes from the English word 'Crycc,' meaning stick.

However, the history of this game is even older, as the household account of King Edward I in 1300 records a game like cricket being played in the hamlet of Kent.

Another reference comes in 1598 court case in Guildford, Surrey, where a coroner mentioned playing "creckett" as a boy in the 1550s.

By the 17^th century the game became popular as a rural pastime between country folks and by the 18^th century the game was being played at every level of society from village folks to wealthy estates.

The game’s transition from a folk leisure activity to an organized sport began in the 18^th century with the foundation of the London Cricket Club in 1722, Hambledon Club in 1760 and eventually the foundation of the Marylebone Cricket Club also known as the MCC in 1787, which later became the sport’s governing authority, formalizing the erstwhile “Laws of Cricket” established in 1744 and maintained from 1787 by the MCC. In the years ahead, there arose a necessity for the formation of an international organization, leading to the establishment of the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from the UK, Australia, and South Africa. Following decolonization in 1965, it was renamed the International Cricket Council to oversee and manage cricket on a global scale.

The History of Cricket in India

Cricket's remarkable journey in India, from colonial pastime to national obsession, finds perfect expression in Ashis Nandy's seminal assertion that it is 'an Indian game accidentally discovered by the English,' capturing the sport's postcolonial transformation. This cultural metamorphosis becomes particularly striking when contrasted with its origins, as scholars like Ramchandra Guha have documented how cricket was first introduced in the mid-eighteenth century by British East India Company sailors and soldiers who played exclusively within their bungalows and barracks, making it primarily a game predominantly for Europeans.

The initial documented match in India took place in the city of Vadodara, which was part of the former Bombay province, in the year 1721.

The majority of games were played in the coastal British cities such as Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras, where the essential infrastructure to support the game was already established. These cities subsequently evolved into major cricketing hubs, a fact validated by examining contemporary developments, for instance, nearly all domestic tournaments are predominantly influenced by these cities, and the majority of Indian Premier League titles are held by teams from these cities.

Nevertheless, the Parsis (Zoroastrians) of Bombay were the initial Indian community to interact with Europeans in order to participate in their game. This community was well-educated, affluent, and westernized, which facilitated their ability to emulate the British players in the sport of cricket.

The first Indian cricket club was the Calcutta Cricket Club established in 1792 and it claimed to be the second oldest cricket club after the MCC. In 1799, the Seringapatnam Cricket Club was established, and it is thought that Arthur Wellesley was the one who brought cricket to Kerala and the south. He and his associates engaged in cricket matches on the town's maidan, frequently drawing spectators who would participate as players whenever additional participants were required. By then, cricket was already being played by the British in places such as Cambay, Seringapatnam and Calcutta; it was very much an elite sport, reserved for the upper class. In the later years, many clubs and gymkhanas literally meaning a public place with facilities for sports were established along religious lines in different cities of the Indian subcontinent.

By the late 1800s, cricket saw exponential growth and produced major cricket players such as Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhavi Jadeja, the Maharaja of the Princely State of Nawanagar, who played for the Sussex team and he was known for his wristy and unorthodox stroke which were quite revolutionary for the time, he played around 307 first class matches and scored around 24,692 runs at an average of 56.37 including 72 centuries and 109 half centuries. The next famous player was KS Duleepsinhji, who was the nephew of Ranjitsinhji and also played for Sussex, he played around 205 first class matches and scored 15,485 runs including 50 centuries at an average of 49.95. Another was CK Naidu, who played for the Hindu Gymkhana and also served as Captain of the Indian National Team in 1932, he played around 7 international matches and scored 350 runs and 207 first class matches and scored 11, 825 runs at an average of 35.94.

In the realm of International cricket, the initial landscape was dominated by two major teams: England, the founding nation, and their longstanding rival, Australia. In 1889, South Africa emerged as the third nation to participate in international test matches, followed by the West Indies in 1928, New Zealand in 1930, and India in 1932.

The test status was granted due to the efforts of various individuals like Arthur Gilligan and Maharaja of Patiala, Sir Bhupendra Singh. On November 21, 1927, delegates from various provinces and princely states agreed on the need for a Board of Cricket Control to regulate cricket in the country and it let to the establishment of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the sole body to control and promote cricketing activities in India in 1928. It can be asserted that India attained cricket independence prior to the nation's actual liberation.

Development of Religious Gymkhanas

The emergence of religious gymkhanas during the colonial period in India represents a significant, albeit frequently neglected, segment in the historical narrative of cricket. As they were not only sporting clubs but an old and effective policy of divide and rule of the British masters of India.

As previously mentioned, the Parsis were the inaugural Indian community to embrace cricket, establishing the Oriental Cricket Club in 1848. Subsequently, approximately thirty to forty additional clubs were established in Bombay city. This club attracted patrons from affluent Parsi businessmen who viewed the sport as a means to strengthen their connections with the British.

In a similar vein, the Hindus established the Bombay Union in 1866, organizing themselves along caste lines to create teams. The Muslims also formed their own club in 1883, aided by the wealthy Tyabjee family of Bombay.

Following their suit numerous other communities formed their own clubs such as the Catholic Club, Bombay Jewish Cricket Club and Instituto Luso Indian Cricket Club, etc. The formation of these clubs led to the inauguration of the Bombay Triangular Tournament from 1907, played by the Europeans, Parsis and Hindus. The Muslims also joined the tournament five years later and it was renamed as Quadrangular and in 1937, another team called ‘The Rest’ was added and subsequently it became the Pentangular Tournament. The supervision of these clubs and allotting grounds to them were taken under charge by the Bombay Governor George Harris who was also the member of the MCC.

Cricket and Growing Communalism in the 1940s

Governor George Harris once said that "The Hindus, the Muslims, and the Parsis each wanted to beat the other, and the British at their own game. I encouraged these matches, for they did no harm and gave much innocent pleasure—but I confess I did not foresee how sharply these rivalries would one day cut."

His statement clearly reflects the ongoing communal issue between these communities and in the field of cricket it promoted the feeling of animosity and hatred against the rival clubs. These rivalries were not only limited to the field but also to the general public.

This trend emerged after the Gandhian Non-Cooperation movement which saw the Muslims joining it by linking the Khilafat movement into it in the 1920s.

The government and Governor Harris projected matches between Hindu and Muslim teams as a clash of civilization between these two communities. This became more disoriented after the 1940s due to Jinnah’s demand for a separate Muslim nation called Pakistan. As in 1924 when the Muslims won, the Hindus also joined in their celebration of their game, even Jinnah supported Cricket as a medium of Hindu Muslim unity in British India.

The Pentangular matches during the 1940s saw communalism in cricket at its peak as defeat was seen as humiliation and both the team’s supporters chanted religious slurs against each other. There was an incident of communal clash because of a poor umpiring decision and loss of the respective team as reported by the Times of India (1942). Neighbours who lived together in Bombay city were divided among religious lines to support their religious team and young students of colleges clashed violently with each other if their team lost the match.

Due to its rising communalism, the Indian National Congress leaders rallied against this tournament and the most famous voice against it was none other than Mahatma Gandhi who wrote in his weekly Harijan(1940) "a travesty of the game... which has become a nursery for communal feelings. I hold it to be anti-national to take part in such competitions where teams are selected on a communal basis."

Gandhi's opposition stemmed from three principled objections. First, he viewed the tournament's religious segmentation as reinforcing the colonial "divide and rule" strategy, contradicting his vision of cricket as a potential unifier. Second, during the critical Quit India Movement phase, he saw communal sports as diverting attention from anti-colonial solidarity. Third, empirical evidence supported his stance - the 1943-45 matches had witnessed Hindu-Muslim spectator violence as reported by Bombay Chronicle , proving how sporting rivalries mirrored political fractures.

His condemnation reflected broader Congress efforts to replace communal tournaments with secular alternatives like the Ranji Trophy, aligning with the nationalist project of de-colonizing Indian sport.

Conclusion

The sport of cricket, often hailed as a noble gentleman’s game promoting fair play and sportsmanship, took a harsh turn in the Indian subcontinent during the British colonial era. Instead of serving as a unifying element, it transformed into a battleground where politics, religious zeal and socio-economic conflicts clashed with dire repercussions.

The creation of religious gymkhanas including Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Europeans and the rest, set the stage for a fragmented sporting culture. Initially established by their communities for recreation and social advancement of their respective communities in the eyes of the British. However, these clubs were gradually turned into tools of communal rivalry and it was supported by the British government.

The colonial government, adhering to its traditional divide and rule strategy, quickly recognized that cricket could serve as an effective means of control and enhance religious hatred against the communities.

Governor Harris also played a major role in promoting these religious rivalries against the backdrop of the ongoing nationalist movement. The British capitalist funded and attended these matches as social gatherings, remaining largely unaware and ignorant to the underlying tensions.

In hindsight, the narrative of cricket in British India, serves as a powerful reminder of how sports can be manipulated for political purposes. The reverberations of this past are still evident today, as cricket matches between India and Pakistan continue to be looked upon as a match of loyalty by the minorities of these two nations.

To continue my argument, I assert that when sports shift from being about enjoyment to becoming stand-in for deeper conflicts, they forfeit their purity. The colonial experience with communal cricket serves as a warning, highlighting the perils of permitting identity politics to take over the games we cherish.

References

Altham, Harry. A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914). London: George Allen & Unwin, 1962.

Birley, Derek. A Social History of English Cricket. London: Aurum, 1999.

Bose, Mihir. A History of Indian Cricket. 2nd ed. London: Andre Deutsch, 2002.

Guha, Ramachandra. "Cricket and Politics in Colonial India." Past & Present 161 (November 1998): 155-190.

Suri, S.S., Vivek Sheel, and Rajendra Kumar. "Origin of Cricket in India." International Research Journal of Management Sociology and Humanity 6, no. 10 (2015).

"Communalism to Commercialism: The Bombay Pentangular 1892-1946." The International Journal of the History of Sport 23, no. 6 (2006): 1033-1058.

"Early Cricket - Cricket: An Heroic Poem by James Love." Accessed May 29, 2025. https://www.earlycricket.uk/index.php/cricket-an-heroic-poem-by-james-love/

"History of Cricket in Britain." Britain Express. Accessed June 07, 2025. https://www.britainexpress.com/History/pastimes/cricket.htm

"Mambally's Cricketing Legacy." Accessed June 18, 2025. https://mamballys.com/cricketing-legacy/

"History of Cricket: From Medieval Times to Modern Game," World of History Cheat Sheet, accessed August 08 2025, https://worldofhistorycheatsheet.com/history-of-cricket/.