User:Pdugar2/Cricket in India

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plain text = Mainspace text Cricket is an important part of Indian culture  and top players, like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma often attain celebrity status and are some of the most influential figures in the country. Cricket is often portrayed patriotically in popular Indian films, including the Academy Award-nominated film, Lagaan, and 83, the 2021 sports drama film about India's Cricket World Cup victory in 1983. The Indian team shares a long-standing rivalry with the Pakistani team, and India-Pakistan matches are some of the most anticipated matches in the world, and one of the most watched television broadcasts in the world.

Portrayal in Popular Culture
Cricket is portrayed in Indian popular culture as an extremely important part of India's national identity. It is frequently associated with a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism, and occasionally, Hindu nationalism.

Films and Celebrities
Cricket has been portrayed many times in various Indian films. One such popular film is 83, a film produced by Reliance Entertainment and directed by Kabir Khan. It stars actor Ranveer Singh as India national team captain Kapil Dev, known as one of India's greatest bowlers in cricketing history. The film is of the historical genre of Indian films and covers the Indian national team's underdog victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup. 83 was received well by audiences and critics alike, scoring 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.5 on IMDb. Many reviews appreciated the film's emphasis on national pride and dramatic storytelling of India's famous victory in 1983, although some criticized the film for unnecessarily over-dramatizing parts of the story.

Celebrities
Indian national cricket players are viewed as some of the highest-profile celebrities in India, especially Sachin Tendulkar, who some attribute god-like status to. Towards the end of his political career, Tendulkar began to pursue a political career, being sworn in as an MP to Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of Parliament in 2012, one year before retiring officially in 2013. While Tendulkar has not officially associated himself with any political party, various literature have claimed that he started to become a Hindu-centric role model after the turn of the 21st century during his cricketing career, promoting similar messages as the BJP, India's political party that is associated strongly with Hindu nationalism.