ODI World Cup: A Lasting Cricket Tradition Defying Time

Add as a preferred source on Google

After India's 7-wicket victory over Pakistan in Ahmedabad, it seemed as though the nation had caught the World Cup bug. The festivities included a burst of firecrackers, and the immortal phrase "Chalo, World Cup starts with a boom" was finally said.

Why didn't the World Cup take place earlier? In a thrilling match of cricket, didn't the reigning champions England lose to New Zealand in the World Cup? Wasn't the victory over Australia by India in Chennai a World Cup match?

Does the World Cup start when India defeats Pakistan alone? Using the justification that the contest between India and Pakistan is the league phase's flagship match and therefore nothing could be bigger or better than that match.

Yet when you consider the calibre of cricket being played, you can see that groups like New Zealand and South Africa are also showing off impressive skill sets, and those games are ideal for serious cricket aficionados. Although it is unfortunate but true that most World Cup matches have been one-sided, the World Cup hasn't officially begun until the India-Pakistan game.

The Men in Blue also played Afghanistan in Delhi prior to India's match against Pakistan, which generated a lot of buzz as well. It became a one-sided match as a result of Rohit Sharma's outstanding shot selection as captain. Yet, it was also a World Cup game, and, believe it or not, every World Cup game is significant. Even if the opposition is not as enthusiastic as Pakistan, it doesn't really matter.

Naturally, when bat and ball are evenly matched, the World Cup becomes more intense. The first significant shock of the tournament occurred on Sunday when Afghanistan defeated England, and fans of the game are excitedly anticipating several more in the coming weeks.

These World Cup games will draw more and more spectators if they become competitive. As it is, there is a lot of interest, so assessing it only based on social media chatter isn't the best course of action. Fans may not be following the non-Indian matches ball-by-ball due to the limited attention span of spectators and the fact that ODI cricket is an extended mental battle, but the degree of involvement is still acceptable.

Whether you like it or not, if it's a World Cup, it has to be a 50-over game. After all, this is the most difficult format, and Virat Kohli can explain why. While Test cricket is beautiful and T20 has its attraction, the ODI format combines all the aspects of this game. Even though MS Dhoni is over 40 years old and still playing T20 cricket in the IPL, if you ask him to play an ODI match, he might decide to go into hiding.

The World Cup will continue to have its unique character, especially when a low-ranked side like Afghanistan challenges a team like England and makes them pay the price, even if some fans find non-India World Cup matches unappealing. Who cares to travel all the way to Delhi's own Ferozeshah Kotla on Sunday to watch the Afghanistan vs. England game?

But, the phone started ringing as soon as the Afghans displayed some bravery with the bat: "Will you set up a couple passes for my family in the evening?" A cricket fanatic called to ask questions. And this is the strength of the 50-over World Cup: not only can you return as a player, but you can also enter at any time as a fan!