Cricket in India is deemed more than a sport. Considering how people in India worship cricket and cricketers, they display a massive passion for cricket. The thrilling matches and nail-biting moments in Indian Cricket, involve not just the players emotions but the audience’s as well. The audience not only dances with joy and celebrates it with immense happiness whenever Team India wins but also expresses their grief upon Team India’s loss. Thus, cricket in India is not just confined to those playing on the field but also incorporates the emotions of crores of Indians. Hence, here I will talk about the top 10 most emotional moments in Indian cricket.
1. Sachin Tendulkar’s Retirement
The master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who is widely regarded as “The God of Cricket”, declared his retirement from all formats of cricket on November 16 2013. He played his last match for India, which was a test match, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, which is also his home ground, and hit 74 runs. A huge crowd had gathered on that day to see the master blaster play for his nation for the last time. Every person, be it his fellow teammates, his family, or his fans, felt heartbroken and sobbed when he gave his retirement speech at the end of the match.
2. 1983 World Cup
The ICC World Cup, which is held every four years, was lifted by India for the first time in 1983. Though initially the Indian cricket team led by Kapil Dev was seen as unprepared and weak, it stunned everybody and left their jaws dropping, by defeating the mighty and two-time champions, the West Indies, in the final match of the 1983 World Cup. It is considered one of the most warm and cherished memories for the Indian cricket team.
3. Saurav Ganguly Taking off his Shirt in 2002
Prior to this incident, Andrew Flintoff, a former English cricketer, had taken off his shirt at the Wankhede Stadium after India lost to England. Later in 2002, Ganguly, popularly called as Dada, repeated the incident by taking off his shirt when India defeated England in the Natwest Trophy final at the Lord’s. He took off his shirt in order to celebrate the India’s win, but it became one of the most iconic scenes in Indian Cricket.
4. 2007 T20 World Cup Inaugural Win
There was a huge outbreak of joy when Team India lifted the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa. M.S. Dhoni, who led the team, gained massive limelight and fame after taking India to the finals and winning it. Another core memory associated with this tournament is when Yuvraj Singh smashed six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad.
5. 2011 World Cup
The 2011 World Cup, which took place in India, still holds a crucial place in the minds of Indians, as India won their second World Cup title after 28 years and became the first team to lift the trophy on home soil. It was also the last ICC match played by Sachin Tendulkar. Besides, Gautam Gambhir’s knock of 97 runs and M.S. Dhoni’s winning six played a vital role in bringing this trophy home.
6. India’s Elimination from 2007 World Cup
India’s elimination from the 2007 World Cup led to immense grief among Indians. Upon the arrival of Team India from the West Indies, the players were provided with huge protection as the infuriated fans began to attack them. Rahul Dravid’s house, the then captain, was attacked with stones by the hot-headed cricket fans.
7. Rahul Dravid’s 2003 World Cup Innings
During the 2003 World Cup, Rahul Dravid scored a crucial century against Sri Lanka, which aided India reach a total of 292. This resulted in a horrifying defeat for Sri Lanka and demonstrated Dravid’s skills.
8. India Tour of Pakistan, 2004
India v/s Pakistan has always been considered one of the biggest rivalries in cricket history. Not just the players, but every Indian also gets deeply attached to the results of India v/s Pakistan matches and that is why whenever India wins against Pakistan, the win is celebrated like a festival. In 2004, for the first time in 15 years, India went on a Pakistan tour and successfully won the ODI as well as the test series. It was during this series that Virender Sehwag smashed 309 runs in a test match and earned the title “The Sultan of Multan”.
9. 2015 World Cup Semi-Final
During the 2015 World Cup, India had attained victory in all the matches, and this raised the hopes of the people that India would bring home the trophy. However, in the semi-final, India was terribly defeated at the hands of ferocious Aussies. Steve Smith’s century at the SCG helped Australia win and left every Indian shattered. M.S. Dhoni, who is otherwise known as the “Cool Captain,” was devastated by the team’s loss and was found in tears after the match.
10. Sachin Tendulkar’s 1999 Century
During the 1999 World Cup in England, Sachin scored a crucial century against Kenya. It is considered one of his most iconic hundreds, since he had lost his father that week but still chose to play for his nation despite the emotional breakdown.
