thatsme

As someone rightly said, Cricket is a religion in India.
This religion is all pervasive in India. The smallest manifestation of this religion is called the Galli Cricket. This form of cricket is in fact the most atomic of all the forms of cricket. This game usually is played in small lanes, between houses, backyards of houses and virtually anywhere they can find enough space to play.

The game itself has derived most of its rules from its bigger counter parts, but has a set of rules of its own. For example, the bowler can “Throw” the cricket ball; the batsman can be “Out” if caught on one bounce, a provision for a “Joker” who can bat and field for both the teams etc. Some more variations of the rules can be like, a batsman will be declared out if he hits the ball into a neighbor’s compound, more so if the neighbor is cantankerous.

Contrary to popular belief, that it is all too simple in Galli cricket, it is in fact far more complex than the original forms of cricket. You have to bear so many things in your mind apart from the normal techniques of playing, like restraining your instincts to hit the cricket ball as hard as you like, but hard enough to get some runs, avoiding any glass panes of windows in the neighborhood. You have to bat with utmost care, not to offer a one-bounce catch to a closing fielder and the runs won’t come easily, with even vehicles finding a place in the field.

The otherwise mandatory stumps are not really mandatory. Three lines drawn on a wall with coal/ green leaves will do fine. If your “Ground” doesn’t have a wall, three bricks laid side by side would do just fine.
Usually there will be no Umpires as such, but if required batsmen from the batting side don the role of Umpires and it’s a no-brainer that they invariably support the batting team, after all, the bias is mutual.
Even with so much complexity ingrained in it, Galli cricket still forms the primary love of every kid in the streets, who aspire to become the next Sachins and Dhonis of the world.

Labels: Galli Cricket