Cricket is one of the most popular sports, In India. It is a game most kids play in their childhood and most households watch on their television sets. However, do we really know everything about this well followed sport? Believe it or not, there are certain facts about this sport that we might not be familiar with. What are they? Let's dive in to find out. 

The Olympics:

As we probably know, cricket, despite being a very popular sport worldwide, is not played in the Olympics. It was intended to be played in the first ever Olympics, but was later cancelled due to insufficient participation. Contrary to how Indians see cricket, it is still not as widely popular in many countries of the world. Due to hassles regarding the arrangement and the length of the game, it is not a part of the Olympics. However, here is a fun fact! At the second Modern Day Olympics, organized in Athens, in 1990, cricket matches were organised and played! 

Women's cricket:

Although women's cricket is not as widely popular in our country as its male counterpart, it is interesting to note that the first Men's World Cup was held in 1975, two years after the first Women's World Cup, which was in 1973. The phrase "Ladies First" seems to be applicable here! 

M. S. Dhoni:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, also called "Captain Cool", is not just a legend here in India. Even worldwide, he holds the record for the most number of international matches he has captained, which is a whopping 331! 

India-Pakistan matches:

The matches between India and Pakistan are our favourite source of adrenaline rush! But, did you know that Pakistan gave the maximum number of extras in the history of test cricket? That's right, Pakistan gave 76 extras in 2007 against India, in the Bangalore test match. 

The stadiums in Dhaka:

Who can forget Captain Saurav Ganguly's historic shirt waving? While the Lord's stadium will always hold a special place in our hearts because of Dada's antics, two stadiums in our neighbouring country - Bangladesh - have hosted more ODIs than Lords! They are the Sher-e-Bangla stadium and the Bangabandhu stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who have managed this incredible feat. 

Wickets over Runs:

When you see that the number of wickets someone has taken is more than the number of runs they have scored, you know that you're witnessing something new. But that is what happened in the case of Chris Martin and B.S. Chandrasekhar! The former had taken 233 wickets with 123 runs, while the latter had taken 242 wickets with 167 runs.

Centuries long:

The cricket bat as we know it, took three centuries to evolve. In 1720, the cricket bat resembled a hockey stick or a large spatula! By 1774, it had acquired a shape similar to current day, but still quite different in structure, size and design, overall. Currently, the bats that are used to play cricket are heavy and thick, with two parts: the handle and the blade. 

It is incredible to note how much is still unknown to us about this sport, despite its massive popularity and following.

- Kaushiki Datta Choudhury