So much happened in 2023 – across Indian cricket, Women’s cricket, World Cricket, and across all of us fans overall. Cricket traveled far and wide. A year with a Cricket World Cup, a World Test Championship Final, a few other multi-nation tournaments, franchise cricket leagues, and numerous bilateral series, 2023 was arguably one of the richest cricketing years of recent times. But here we are, with one of the most difficult year-ending assignments – the Top Moments from this year gone by.
Rohit, Virat, and one Terrific Indian World Cup campaign:
Three months in, India is still recovering from a shock defeat against Australia in the finals. Australia outplayed the hosts and deserved to win the World Cup, but no one can take away from the fact that this was one of, if not the, most dominant India’s ever been in the Cricket World Cup. The mix of experience with the exuberance of youth, combined with consistency and the responsibility between the team makes it even more special. I also thought both, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli drove India’s success in their own ways – one going bonkers at the top, the other building one innings after another in the middle. And while everyone else revolved around the two maestros, few of world cricket’s most exemplary knocks were played during this World Cup. Virat’s 50th century against New Zealand in the World Cup semifinals on the exact same date and the same venue where Sachin Tendulkar played his last game, and in front of the legend himself, will remain the most special. One win away from what would be an absolute dream campaign!
Maxwell, and everything about that one knock:
Adversities are a common occurrence in sports, and often the character of the player is defined by how they tackle them. Glenn Maxwell against Afghanistan in the World Cup showed us what grit, determination, and belief can do in world cricket. He tackled everything that was thrown his way in a way of his own – 144 off his 200* coming in boundaries while also overcoming cramps and pain from every possible muscle in the body in the latter half. And all of it when the team struggled at 90/7 chasing a mammoth 290-run total. Kapil Dev’s 183* against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup is the only other such great knock one would imagine getting close to what Maxwell managed. One of the best ODI knocks ever played.
Test Cricket, and The Push it Needs:
2023 hosted the World Test Championship Finals witnessing Pat Cummins-led Australia lift the title. But the story did not end there. The last couple of months in 2023 hosted plenty of Test cricket played across the world – reminding people about the little nuances within cricket’s longest, but most traditional, format. The early morning swing and carry, on Day 1 Down Under, the spin in the subcontinent, or even the bounce in the African nations, lost amidst the popularity of the shorter formats, Test cricket seemed to slowly find its path to resurrection. It was also good to see the crowd gracing the occasion in large numbers.
These upcoming years, two or possibly three of them, will determine the future of Test cricket – I hope ICC, as well as the players, cater well to the needs and demands of the cricketing traditions. Having said that, 2024 has surely gotten off on a strong foot – also note, India plays 12 Tests this year.
IPL – Auction, Transfers, and the Unforeseen Drama:
Mini-auctions and transfers have been mundane in franchise cricket, especially IPL, in recent times. However, this year was a little different. From CSK winning the IPL 2023 (for the legend, MS Dhoni) and the nostalgic emotion attached to Hardik Pandya’s return to the Mumbai Indians following an intense wave of speculations, the Indian Premier League was surrounded by controversies and drama. The latter incident was also accompanied by the clause of Hardik Pandya being made captain of the Mumbai Indians – sending mixed waves across the cricketing fraternity.
It was surely an event mishandled by BCCI and the franchises themselves. One only hopes these developments do not hinder Team India’s decision-making ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA.
Uprising in Women’s Cricket:
Women’s cricket has been on a sharp rise this decade and 2023 was another pivotal step in that direction. The year started with the inaugural Women’s U19 World Cup being played in South Africa and ended with the coming back of Test cricket to the Indian subcontinent. WPL, WCPL, and WBBL too, had their own pockets of fame and charm during the year, but more than anything, it was the coming to the fore of many young girls from around the world that made it truly special. Many small-town cricketers, fighting their way through multiple struggles and riding on their immense hard work not only made it to the big stage but also left a significant mark in world cricket. 2023, in my opinion, set up the stage for bigger and grander things to follow in Women’s cricket – both domestically and internationally.
These are the select five of the many glorious moments that we witnessed in this year gone by. Do let us know your top cricketing moments from 2023 in the comments.
cricketingmindsblog 