Think cricket and you have to think of India. The two seem to be inseparable pair that share a love and hate relationship. When the players come home after a stunning victory over their rivals in field, the whole of India is seen cheering. The scenario is completely reversed with a single loss. Overnight the heroes change into villains of the story who have let down their fans. However, the grudge against the cricketers is not long lasting, only until the next victory. Another interesting characteristic of the Indian cricket fan is his unlimited views and opinions about how a game should be played or should have been planned. The fickle nature of the fan adds to the unpredictability of the playing style of the cricketers. Players who perform astonishingly well in a particular match can fail miserably in the very next.

Indian cricket, however, has successfully survived the various difficulties of each player's career as well as the fickle nature of the fans. The game of cricket continues to be the unofficial national sports and favorite past time of most Indians. Consider the scenario of empty streets and shops, high number of students playing truant from school, office attendance hitting an all time low. Yes, you guessed it right, blame it on a cricket match, especially if our home country is playing. Any true cricket enthusiast can be seen glued to his television set or found with ears glued to the live commentary on radio, whenever a live match is being played.

The cricket mania has further extended to include other mediums of communication besides the television, radio and print. The new media also could not escape the charm of the game. Many online sites are exclusively dedicated to the game. On these sites, you can find not only easy access to live scores updated constantly, but also every tidbit of the players, past cricket records, discussion forums and chats regarding cricket, posters and photographs of the cricketers and so on. Hence Indian cricket fans who may not be able to sneak out to the stadium each time a match is being played, can now comfort themselves through the cricket websites on the internet.

A new format of cricket, Twenty20, which was recently introduced to the world, has captured the fancy of fans across the globe. Cricket enthusiasts, who were great fans of Indian cricket, had been disappointed with the team's dismal performance in the World Cup. The Twenty20 World Cup being won by team India has set the records straight and once more Indian cricket finds itself on top of the popularity chart. In a country where cricket is religion and the cricketers are gods, it is not easy to displace the game from the heart of Indians who have put the game on a completely new pedestal. The level of attachment is so strong that every aspect of their cricket heroes affects the fans. So, as long as Indians share this strong bond with the game, cricket is definitely here to stay for a long while to come.