Read these 5 books on Indian cricket before watching Ranveer Singh's '83'
The much-awaited Ranveer Singh starrer '83' is all set to release on December 24. The biographical sports drama is based on Kapil Dev (played by Singh) and focuses on the historic win of India in the 1983 Cricket World Cup under Dev's captaincy. Since the film centers on cricket – something that unifies India – it has been creating widespread buzz all around the country. Also, there are several books on cricket that you need to read before watching ‘83’. Here’s a look at five books on Indian cricket you need to read before watching ‘83’.
Pic credit: Wikipedia
'A Corner Of A Foreign Field' by Ramachandra Guha
The book seamlessly interweaves biography with history and the lives of famous or forgotten cricketers with wider processes of social change. Its blurb sums up the inside contents accurately: "The Indian careers of those great British cricketers, Lord Harris and D. R. Jardine, provide a window into the operations of Empire. The remarkable life of India’s first great slow bowler, Palwankar Baloo, provides an arresting new perspective on the struggle against caste discrimination."
Pic credit: Penguin Random House India
'Playing It My Way: My Autobiography' by Sachin Tendulkar
This is the autobiography of Sachin Tendulkar, an absolute legend in cricket. It talks about how a young Mumbai schoolboy channeled his energies into the game, as a result of which, he was the record-breaker batsman in school. Always a very private man, devoted to his family and his country, Tendulkar provides a great look through his personal life and gives a frank account of his sporting life in this book.
Pic credit: Hodder & Stoughton
'Free Hit: The Story Of Women’s Cricket In India' by Suprita Das
Focusing on Mithali Raj, the world's greatest female batsman, and Jhulan Goswami, the leading wicket-taker in women's cricket, the book takes us into the lives of the bunch of women who, across the years, just like their male counterparts, also brought home laurels that are worth celebrating.
Pic credit: Harper Sport India
'Miracle Men' by Nikhil Naz
Based on first-hand accounts of the days leading up India's historic win at the 1983 World Cup, the book brings alive some of the most glorious moments in Indian cricket. From dressing-room disagreements to selectorial intrigues to on-field strategies, this riveting account is as entertaining and full of unexpected turns as the game of cricket!
Pic credit: Hachette India
'Cricket Country' by Prashant Kidambi
It is the story of the beginnings of cricket in India and focuses on the first all-Indian cricket tour of Britain in 1911.
"This is a capacious tale with an improbable cast of characters set against the backdrop of revolutionary protest and princely intrigue. The captain of the Indian team was nineteen-year-old Bhupinder Singh, the embattled Maharaja of Patiala. The other cricketers were selected on the basis of their religious identity. Most remarkable, for the day, was the presence in the side of two Dalits: the Palwankar brothers, Baloo and Shivram," reads the book's blurb.
Pic credit: Penguin Viking