Even if India somehow manages to lose the Cricket World Cup final, there is no doubt that lies the power of world cricket.
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After six and a half weeks and almost 50 matches involving 10 teams and 10 cities, the 2023 Cricket World Cup FINALLY ends on Sunday with Australia facing the daunting task of stopping undefeated hosts India in the final.
India’s cricket-minded prime minister is likely to be among the 132,000 people watching the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, its namesake, in Ahmedabad.
It has been a rollercoaster ride so far for India, who have barely managed to win 10 out of 10 matches in the World Cup.
If India somehow manages to lose the showpiece final, it will be embarrassing for Modi, but there is no doubt about where the power in world cricket lies. The country’s highly influential and politically supported cricket board; vast finances driven by the lucrative Indian Super League; and a population of 1.4 billion cricket fanatics increasingly contributes to a unipolar cricket world order.
In an essay this week, Suparna Sharma looked at Bollywood’s stormy relationship with cricket and what the films say about a changing India; from postcolonial underdog to increasingly assertive power, to the aggressive Hindu nationalism prevalent under Modi – which is complicated by the country’s diversity.
“Cricket and cinema are the last bastions of secularism, but they are also a reflection of our society,” writer-director Varun Grover told Tel Aviv Tribune.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve spoken to players, coaches, fans and observers to dig deeper into issues surrounding this World Cup and broader trends in cricket.
Highlights include:
Meanwhile, India has also been the driving force behind the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics, starting from Los Angeles 2028, as India plans to host the 2036 games.
Some hope that the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics can help grow the game and make it truly global, but there is also the risk that it could fuel inequality. With great power comes great responsibility, and India has a duty to use its influence for the good of the game.
Join us this weekend for a preview of the final, live coverage of the match and a deeper look at where cricket is headed.
Elsewhere this week
- Stephen Constantine, the widely traveled England manager in Pakistan, speaks to Tel Aviv Tribune about taking on one of the most difficult jobs in international football.
- “Bring Hersh home”: a football club awaits the return of the Israeli “left-hander” held captive by Hamas.
- From coma to captain of Bangladesh: the incredible footballing journey of Jamal Bhuyan.
- Football “can bring joy” to Lebanon amid Gaza war.