This is Mumbai – Where cricket is inseparable!

Players-practicing
PLayers practicing to become Sachin of tomorrow !
Cricket Players practising
Players practising to become Sachin of tomorrow!

Yes, when I see people playing cricket, it makes me imagine about the popularity of this sport. When I say that, I always think that although this sport is not the national sport in our country, it refrains Hockey (which is our national sport) from being one!

Bombay Gymkhana
Cricket stands in Bombay Gymkhana

The cricket fever would leave any onlooker amazed with a bunch of boys playing cricket with a bat (or a poorer version of it) with a ball and sometimes using bricks, walls, or wooden sticks as wickets. Starting from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Gujarat to the seven sisters in the East, this sport is the most favoured in whole country.

Batsman in action
Batsman playing a fantastic leg glance

Today, cricket in India plays the role of adhesive in its own contradictions. So, I would say, looking at young enthusiastic boys playing it on two cricket hotspots wasn’t very unusual for me. These two hotspots were Azad Maidan and Oval Maidan where the young cricket enthusiasts practise and harness themselves to compete against millions and dream to be a part of Indian cricket team.

Shimmering skyline at the cricket maidan
Shimmering skyline which consists of many old buildings flock the area

As I was clicking pictures on Azad Maidan, I immediately got aware of the situation that how important this sport is in our country when I saw many visitors looking the players competing each other and trying to find their own “Sachin Tendulkar” who might be present out there! Who knows?

Cricket in action
Ready, steady and action – as the ball gets bowled

An encouraging sign that despite lifestyles in Mumbai getting hectic by the day, youngsters are still glued on to the sport.