'When India won a game against Pakistan...': Nikhil Kamath on 'evolution' of cricket, IPL trends

In a related note last year, Nikhil Kamath had pointed out how the the younger generation is less interested in cricket than his generation.

Billionaire Nikhil Kamath recently reflected on how cricket as a sport has evolved over the years. He said that as a child he remembered his entire locality celebrating after India's win in a match against Pakistan, but things now are different.

"I vividly remember lying on a mattress watching every cricket game India ever played with my family as a kid. When India won a game against Pakistan, the entire locality came to a halt, and we would be on the streets celebrating," Kamath said. "Today, things seem different. A lot of the kids I meet (bias of affluence noted) seem to be speaking about other sports, video games, etc."

The cricket fan -- who watched the India vs Australia World Cup match with RBI governor Shaktikanta Das last November at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium -- also shared an infographic by FinFloww highlighting the evolution of cricket after the explosion of T20 leagues across the world.

I vividly remember lying on a mattress watching every cricket game India ever played with my family as a kid. When India won a game against Pakistan, the entity locality came to a halt, and we would be on the streets celebrating :).

Today, things seem different; a lot of the… pic.twitter.com/SWExVhceGG — Nikhil Kamath (@nikhilkamathcio) May 21, 2024

The report stated that cricket has not been able to enjoy the global popularity that football enjoys because of the former's various formats. But the formats are also crucial as it retains the audience's interest in terms of entertainment, it added.

The Zerodha co-founder had in a related note last year pointed out how the the younger generation is less interested in cricket than his generation. He recommended investing in esports or the online gaming industry instead of IPL.

"Interactive may be the form of content that works in the coming decade. Esports may be the opportunity to invest in, not IPL teams/cricket, which cost as much as EPL football clubs today. In my limited experience, the younger generation is less enamoured by cricket than my generation was," Kamath wrote on X.