The game of cricket has forever been riddled with rivalries that make the matches even more interesting. Every fan has a favorite for which they are often willing to get into a fight with their best mate. Cricket rivalries teach us that no team can forever stand as the best, and everyone comes out to the top once in a while.
However, fans of the game have had trouble visiting stadiums due to the ongoing pandemic. This has led to a surge in their numbers on online platforms to get a taste of fantasy cricket games. Regardless of their differences, gamers here get to play an online game format, where they can take in players from their rival teams and create a unique team of their own to face off against their friends and other online players.
To know more about the contents of the fantasy cricket game, you can click on https://www.mpl.live/fantasy-cricket and download the app.
The ongoing IPL is the best excuse to brush up your knowledge on some old cricket rivalries and pump up your trivia game. So let's dig deep into the most discussed rivalries in international cricket.
England Vs. Australia
The first-ever test match was played in 1877 by these two teams, and from there stems a boiling rivalry between both teams. Considered one of the oldest rivalries in International cricket, these two teams have the most TRPs when their games are broadcasted.
Their rivalry is so famous that it led to creation of a new form of cricket tournament called The Ashes. It rose from a satirical joke by a journalist who mentioned a line about England's ashes being sent over to Australia. As received by England, the Ashes urn has been believed to symbolize the tussle between the two parties that have denoted a rivalry.
Through the 1990s and the early 2000s, Australia took the front line in this battle and dominated over the English side. However, under present circumstances, the teams have achieved equal playing ground, which has given fans of both sides things to cheer for.
India Vs. Pakistan
As one of the most celebrated rivalries in cricket lore, their face-offs have sent waves into politics and sports news channels. However, the political tension between the two countries has been quite a matter of discussion lately.
Pakistan holds a much better track record than India, taking all their matches to date. The best part about India and Pakistan is that the fans get doubly fired up for their favorite cricketers when the matches happen in jam-packed stadiums. The rivalry between these two teams was at its peak, especially during the end of the 1980s and the start of the 1990s. Unfortunately, some severe political issues made the countries get into serious conflict in the middle. Political clashes forced the rivalry to be halted within the game's structure. However, in the year 2004, the fire got reignited, and since then, the teams have played against each other more than often.
Australia Vs. South Africa
This duo remarkably rivals each other in every sport. But the case with Australia is that all their players are at their peak physicality and somehow manage to create a strong enough team to counter opponents in almost every sport. As a result, Australia was astonishingly good for a few years in the past decade and made every other team run for their money.
The first defeat for Australia at their home came after 16 long years when the South African players managed to overthrow the giant in 2008-09. The series was absolutely terrific and greatly enjoyed by the fans in the stadium. However, this defeat intensified their rivalry and created a heated moment between the fans. One Of the most memorable moments that the fans love involves the clash of these titans in 2011, where the Aussies had to chase down over 300 runs in the second test against South Africa to level up to them in the series.
West Indies Vs. England
West Indies have at present lost their form, but during the 1980s, they dominated world cricket with a strong team of talented cricketers.
This infamous rivalry was born with a comment passed by Tony Greig during the lead-up game in 1976. First, he made a compliment towards the side, quickly shifting to a snide remark that sent guns ablaze.
The reply from West Indies came with a 3-0 win in the series. The fans and players equally made quite a comeback from such slander, and both teams have left a mark in history given such an incident happened between them.
India Vs. Australia
This rivalry has picked up quite the pace in recent times. However, fans around the world love to consider the 2001 Test series to be the earliest signs of this eternal clash. The other story from a different age of cricket fanatics tells that it all began in the Indian summer of 1998 during the early years when fans couldn't resist legends like Sachin and Shane Warne from clashing on the battlefield. These two enigmatic gentlemen held such high podiums in the hearts of their fans that they were literal legends at the time of their playing.
In the 2007/08 period, the flames started rising when certain umpiring errors led to the ban of Harbhajan Singh from the series. Under pressure and embarrassment, the Indian team even decided to cancel their tour. Eventually, however, they agreed to continue the matches following the return of Harbhajan Singh to the game.
Passions run deep in cricket games, and the players' banter only fuels them on and off the field. Fans energize these aspects with full support in stadiums, screaming their lungs out. The great love from the fans promotes these rivalries and makes the games even more thrilling and electric for the players. The love of fans in the modern age takes a higher ground where players can voice their opinions on social media and show their support, fueling the fire of these legendary rivalries.