‘Cricket is not just a game, it is a religion in India’ – Sachin Tendulkar
Having scored more runs than any other player in international cricket, many thought they were witnessing divine intervention when Sachin Tendulkar was in his best form with the bat. On a recent trip to Kashmir, the ‘Little Master’ as he is known, was seen playing a game of ‘gully cricket’ with a group of local people in Gulmarg. At one point, he turned his bat upside down, using the handle to hit the tennis ball to give the bowlers a fighting chance.
Gully cricket is played all over India and is a basic version of cricket played on the street, wherever there is a narrow strip of road or even on a railway platform. Stumps will often be a cardboard box or a tin can, the ball will often be an old tennis ball and the rules are usually quirky, distinct to the street where the game is being played. While the equipment is rudimentary, the competition is serious and the skills on show are impressive. Tendulkar attributes his famous straight drive to the gully cricket he played as a boy on the outskirts of Mumbai, as typically there would be no fielders behind the bowler in gully cricket.
Anybody recently watching Andrew Flintoff’s documentary, Field of Dreams, will know exactly what gully cricket is all about and how this form of cricket has inspired a generation from all walks of life in India to play the game. Inspired by Flintoff and his band of unlikely cricketers, we have reached out to our friends and partners in India to give you and your children the opportunity to play a game of gully cricket alongside other formats of the game. While IPL maybe the poster boy of cricket in India, the popularity of gully cricket, box cricket, soft ball cricket, farm cricket, beach cricket and maidan cricket should not be underestimated. In a country of almost 1.5 billion people, cricket is a powerful, unifying force. Talk to our experts about adding a cricketing element to your family holiday to India.
We can organise a game of gully cricket in old Delhi (just behind the Red Fort). You’ll be given a quick run-down of the local rules before being given the bat to show off your skills – expect trees and landmarks to be treated as fielders and be prepared to be given out if you hit the ball into a neighbour’s garden.
We can also arrange a game of T10 on the streets of Agra close to the Taj Mahal, or a more serious game at the Oval Maidan in south Mumbai, a famous recreational park where cricket has long been a mainstay. If you prefer to get out of the city, then we can arrange for a game of farm cricket with local farmers just outside Jaipur or a game of rural cricket with local villagers in Jojawar (a village in Rajasthan three hours from Udaipur).
Finish your day by taking a jeep safari around the idyllic peaceful surroundings, sharing a cool sundowner to celebrate (or commiserate) your cricketing prowess and staying in a beautiful heritage hotel for a few nights.
For those wanting access to more serious and challenging formats of the game, talk to our experts about the following:
- Take a tour of Arun Jaitley stadium (previously known as ‘Firoze Shah Kotla’ stadium) in Delhi along with a net session
- Visit a cricket academy in Delhi and have a game of ‘box cricket’ with a local team
- Visit to Wankhede stadium in Mumbai and visit a cricketing academy for a net session
- Visit to The Bombay Gymkhana or the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai
- Get tickets for an IPL game or an international match
If you run a cricket club and you’re looking for a memorable away tour, or perhaps you’re a teacher with a school team itching to test itself against other schools in India, then let us help you organise a trip to create your own Field of Dreams.
