Books on cricket you should read this IPL season
The Indian Premier League, better known as the "IPL", returned with a bang on March 26 this year. The league, with its unique format and variety of players - both domestic and international - manages to set a massive viewership record each year. Founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2007, the IPL is usually held between March and May every year and has an extensive window in the ICC Future Tours Programme. Thus, for the fans of IPL, here are some books on cricket you must read.
'Democracy's XI' by Rajdeep Sardesai
The book narrates the story of post-Independence cricket through the lives of 11 extraordinary Indian cricketers who represent different dimensions of this change - from Dilip Sardesai and Tiger Pataudi in the 1950s to M.S. Dhoni and Virat Kohli today.
Pic credit: Juggernaut
'Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians' by Boria Majumdar
The book takes you behind the scenes of India’s most popular sport, i.e. cricket. Going from early tours in 1886 to the more contemporary IPL, it offers a complete understanding of the evolution of the game both on and off the field. Featuring material that has never-been-released, this book sheds new light on cases like Monkeygate, the suspension of Lalit Modi, match-fixing scandals, and more.
Pic credit: S&S India
'A Corner of a Foreign Field' by Ramachandra Guha
The book seamlessly interweaves biography with history, the lives of famous or forgotten cricketers with wider processes of social change. C. K. Nayudu and Sachin Tendulkar naturally figure in this book but so, too, in unexpected ways, do B. R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and M. A. Jinnah.
Pic credit: Penguin
'Playing it My Way' by Sachin Tendulkar
This is the autobiography of the legend and the renowned personality in cricket - Sachin Tendulkar. In this, Sachin talks about his journey from his first Test match at the age of 16 to his 100th international century and the final farewell. He was awarded India's highest civilian honor, Bharat Ratna Award, on the day of his retirement.
Pic credit: Hodder & Stoughton
'Cricket 2.0' by Tim Wigmore and Freddie Wilde
Using exclusive interviews with over 80 leading players and coaches – including Jos Buttler, Ricky Ponting, Kieron Pollard, Eoin Morgan, Brendon McCullum, and Rashid Khan – the authors reveal how cricket has been transformed, both on and off the field. All in all, this is the extraordinary and previously misunderstood story of Twenty20, how it is reshaping the sport – and what the future of cricket will look like.
Pic credit: Arena Sport
Start a Conversation
Post comment