How 20/20 Grew

3/6/09
By Gulu Ezekiel

A remarkable fact of recent cricket history is the part India has played in the growth of first ODIs and then the 20/20 version of the game.
Back in 1983 no one gave India a ghost of a chance in the third edition of the Prudential World Cup in England. The players had precious little experience of limited overs cricket having played just a handful for their country. And in the previous two cups they had just one win to their credit—against East Africa.
Test cricket was pretty robust in India despite the dire home series against England in 1981-82 which the hosts won 1-0 with four drawn. The first ODI series on Indian soil was staged during that same tour.
How Kapil Dev’s side turned the cricket world upside down by beating twice-champions West Indies in the final at Lord’s has been recounted countless times.
It led to a cricket revolution with the BCCI snatching hosting rights for the 1987 cup out of the grasping hands of the English authorities.
The explosion in 50-overs cricket was powered by India and Pakistan with Sharjah leading the way. It looked like ODIs would swamp Test cricket, but the traditional form of the game held its own.
Then two years ago the Indian board was dragged kicking and screaming to the inaugural World Cup 20/20 in South Africa. The BCCI opposed the format as it felt it would take the sheen away from ODIs.
This time it was the turn of MS Dhoni and his boys to stun one and all by beating Pakistan in the final at Johannesburg.
Out of that triumph came first the ‘rebel’ ICL and then the Indian Premier League which threatens to change the face of world cricket forever after just two seasons.
And all because of two massive upsets. Who would have guessed, India dubbed the ‘dull dogs’ of cricket till the 70s would usher in instant cricket’s revolution?