1947
India undertake first tour after Independence, to Australia.
1948All India Radio covers Test cricket for the first time, during India’s home series against West Indies.
1949India almost win their first ever Test match, in Bombay. They are six runs away with seven balls in hand when umpire Bapu Joshi erroneously ends the match.
1950India decides to become part of the British Commonwealth. As a result, they retain ICC Full Membership and continue to play Test cricket.
1951Vijay Merchant (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)Vijay Merchant signs off with 154, then the highest score by an Indian. Vijay Hazare later scores 164 in same Test match.
1952India win their first ever Test match, against England at Madras by an innings and eight runs. They also beat Pakistan 2-1, their first-ever series win.
1953First edition of the M.J. Gopalan Trophy, a curious annual match between a state (Madras) and a country (Ceylon, now Sri Lanka).
1954India tour Pakistan for the first time. They would return without losing a Test match for the first time.
1955Polly Umrigar scores 223, the first double hundred by an Indian in Test cricket.
1956Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy add 413 for the first wicket. The world record stands until 2007/08.
1957Ranji Trophy restructured to provide more matches to the weaker teams. Earlier, they would have been knocked out after their first defeat.
1958Confusion reigns as India begin their home series against West Indies. Six men would lead India in seven Test matches.
1959India beat Australia for the first time. Jasu Patel takes 9-69 in an innings and 14-124 in the match, both national records.
1960Nari Contractor becomes first ‘commoner’ Indian captain (from outside major cities, royalty, royal patronage, and armed forces).
1961Duleep Trophy begins to bridge the gap between Ranji Trophy and Test cricket.
1962With wins in Calcutta and Madras, India celebrate their first series victory against England (2-0).
1963Joginder Rao becomes first player to do three hat-tricks in his first two First-class matches. An accident restricted his career to five matches.
1964Bapu Nadkarni bowls 21 consecutive maiden overs, still a world record.
1965S. Venkataraghavan becomes second cricketer in history to dismiss all eleven opposition batters (against New Zealand in Delhi).
1966Doordarshan live telecasts a cricket match for the first time (Prime Minister’s XI versus the touring West Indians from Delhi).
1967A match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, before the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo: Marajozkee via Wikimedia Commons 4.0)Rioting at the Eden Gardens leads to abandonment of an entire day’s Test cricket between India and West Indies.
1968India win their first overseas series (3-1 in New Zealand).
1969With an eye on the future, selectors pick eight debutants in eight Test matches in three months. The investments pay off over time.
1970Farokh Engineer is selected in a Rest of World team that plays five Test matches against England.
1971India win first ever series in both West Indies and England.
1972A.F.S. Talyarkhan, legendary commentator of the 1930s and 1940s, recalled by All India Radio after 23 years for one final stint.
1973Women’s Cricket Association of India, the first central cricket body in the country, is founded.
1974Karnataka end Bombay’s 15-year streak of Ranji Trophy titles, ending a monopoly.
1975India win their first ODI, against East Africa in the inaugural World Cup.
1976India Men chase a world record 406 in West Indies. India Women win their first Test match, against West Indies in Patna.
1977Yajurvindra Singh equals the world record by holding five catches on Test debut.
1978India host the second Women’s World Cup.
1979Delhi win their first Ranji Trophy, marking the rise of a new power in Indian cricket.
1980BCCI celebrates Golden Jubilee with a Test match. Every former international cricketer is invited.
1981India becomes the last of the ICC Full Members to host an ODI (against England in Ahmedabad).
1982N.K.P. Salve is appointed BCCI President. He would trigger the switch of the global cricket power towards India.
1983Kapil Dev lifting the World Cup trophy in 1983.India defy all predictions to win their first ever World Cup.
1984Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi becomes the second venue in the world to host international cricket under lights.
1985India win seven-nation World Championship of Cricket in Australia.
1986India win 2-0 in England, their best result in the country till date.
1987Sunil Gavaskar (Screenshot courtesy: YouTube/cricket.com.au)Sunil Gavaskar becomes first cricketer to score 10,000 Test runs. India co-host the first Men’s World Cup outside England.
1988Narendra Hirwani wrecks West Indies with world record figures of 16-136 on debut.
1989Sachin Tendulkar becomes India’s youngest debutant – a record he still holds.
1990Mohammad Azharuddin (Image via Twitter/@azharflicks)Mohammad Azharuddin is appointed Indian captain with leadership experience of four First-class matches. Barring a short break, he would lead India until 1999.
1991India welcome South Africa after Apartheid with three ODIs. BCCI earn USD 120,000 from the series – their first income from cricket in India.
1992India become first non-White team to play international cricket in South Africa.
1993India sweep England series 3-0. Win first ever series in Sri Lanka.
1994Kapil Dev breaks Richard Hadlee’s world record of 431 Test wickets. SG balls used for the first time in Test cricket in India.
1995Neetu David (Image: Twitter/@ICC)Neetu David takes 8-53, still the best figures in Women’s Tests.
1996India win their first Test series against South Africa.
1997Jagmohan Dalmiya becomes first Indian president of the ICC.
1998India win five triangular tournaments in four different countries in the same calendar year.
1999Anil Kumble takes all 10 wickets in a Test innings, against Pakistan in Delhi.
2000India win their first Under-19 World Cup. Indian cricket rocked by revelations of match fixing.
2001V.V.S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh help India win the Kolkata Test match after following-on and end Australia’s record streak of 16 wins.
2002Mithali Raj scores 214 at Taunton, then the highest individual score in Women’s Test cricket.
2003India defy initial setbacks, including sponsorship rows with BCCI, to reach final of the World Cup.
2004Virender SehwagVirender Sehwag scores 309, the first triple hundred by an Indian in Test cricket. India win first series in Pakistan.
2005India Women reach a World Cup final for the first time.
2006BCCI take over WCAI to become sole governing body for women’s cricket in India.
2007Winners of the inaugural IPL - Rajasthan Royals - at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.Indian Cricket League takes off. The Indian Premier League is launched. India win the World T20.
2008The first IPL season. The economy and geography of cricket would change over the years.
2009India win a Test series in New Zealand after 41 years.
2010Dilip Vengsarkar with Greg Chappell, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.Sachin Tendulkar scores the first ever ODI double hundred.
2011India win a World Cup after 28 years.
2012Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman retire, Sachin Tendulkar plays last ODI.
2013India win their first solo ICC Champions Trophy, 11 years after becoming joint champions.
2014Sachin Tendulkar becomes first athlete to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, months after his last Test match.
2015Lodha Panel sends an 82-point questionnaire to the BCCI. Indian cricket would later undergo significant overhaul.
2016India Women become first Indian team to win a bilateral series against Australia in Australia in any format. India Men emulate them later in the day.
2017Jhulan GoswamiJhulan Goswami breaks Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s world record of 180 ODI wickets. India Women reach the World Cup final. Women’s cricket becomes mainstream.
2018India win Test matches in South Africa, England, and Australia in the same calendar year.
2019India win first ever Test series on Australian soil.
2020India Women play their first T20 World Cup final in front of a staggering 86,174 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
2021India seal historic win in Australia despite being destroyed in the first Test match and losing several frontline cricketers.
*This list aims to be comprehensive, not exhaustive.2022IPL sells broadcasting rights for INR 47,333 crore. At USD 15.1 million, the IPL’s per-game value is now next to only NFL’s.
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