The game of cricket has acquired the status of a religion in India with the cricketers enjoying a demi-god status. The massive fan-following that the game commands across the length and breadth of this country is a testimony of its unsurpassed popularity.

The popularity of cricket in India can be ascribed to the fact that the country has been a force to reckon with in the world stage. The game witnessed exponential growth in India when Kapil's Devils humbled the mighty West Indians in the hallowed turf of Lord's to emerge as the World Champions in 1983.

The long line of world-beaters the country has produced exemplifies the rich heritage of cricket in India. From Ranjitsinghji, Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar,

India has been churning out exceptional cricketing talents who have left their marks in the annals of the game.

In addition to the abundant talent pool, cricket in India has benefited by the innovative marketing strategies adopted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. With top-notch corporate houses making a beeline to be associated with the Indian cricket team, the Board laughing all the way to the bank.

The cricketers too have made a fortune out of their celebrity status by endorsing a host of consumer products. Given the popularity of the game and the players' celebrity status, it's no wonder that the majority of the young kids of this country aspire to be successful cricketers

India won the World Cup in 1983

To listen Interview with Kapil Dev after India's World Cup victory Click here (Hindi) I

In this rare interview India's legendary captain Kapil Dev talks about how India progressed to World Cup victory in 1983. The interview was done by BBC's veteran broadcaster Krishna Gould. India gave a hint of determination by winning its first match against West Indies at Old Trafford. Kapil Dev says from that moment he was sure of reaching the semi-finals. He says victory in the finals was a joint team effort. In the match Kapil took a dramatic catch of Viv Richards that changed the course of the match. Richards later said about this catch: "Kapil changed everything with one brilliant catch... I only know that at the end of the game, there were a lot of sick people in our dressing room. We felt sick that we could not win that game."  Here is the story of the golden moment of Indian cricket in the words of Indian captain

Indian Cricket Achievements

• India's first Test victory

• 1971 away series victory in West Indies

• 1971 away series victory in England

• 2001 Kolkata Test

• Kumble's 10 wicket haul

• Record run chase against West Indies in 1976

• World Cup Victory in 1983

1. Barabati Stadium, Cuttack

2. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk,

3. Madras Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

4. Eden Gardens, Calcutta Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

5. Green Park (Modi Stadium), Kanpur

6. Indira Priyadarshini Stadium, Vishakhapatnam

7. Lal Bahadur Stadium, Hyderabad

8. Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna

9. Moti Bagh Stadium, Baroda

10. Nehru Stadium, Pune

11. Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali,

12. Chandigarh Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior

13. Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

14. Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

15. Vidarbha C.A. Ground, Nagpur

16. Wankhede Stadium, Bombay

History of Cricket in India