Turf Cricket has become a modern-day phenomenon that is revolutionizing the traditional sport and setting new standards for excellence and entertainment. KheloMore has been at the forefront of promoting Turf Cricket by enhancing a dynamic community of cricket enthusiasts and organizing energetic tournaments that demonstrate their excitement and skill of modern-day form of cricket.
With turf cricket becoming a new trend and more mainstream, street cricket or gully cricket seems to have somewhat overshadowed in urban areas. However, some believe that gully cricket is still alive through turf cricket in terms of fun, excitement and entertainment.
Since turf cricket and gully cricket are two different formats of the game, whether the charm of the latter format has faded away due to accessibility and increasing popularity of organized cricket leagues?
Hari Ayappan, founder of Archers Entertainment Pvt Ltd, stated that Gully Cricket has its own charm but turf is more fun because it is played in a controlled environment.
"Turf cricket is controlled, it's more fun. Gully cricket has got a different fun altogether because you climb building walls, you hit somebody's window and you run away and then you come back again and play. You search for the ball. Suddenly there's an aunty who's got the ball in her balcony and she's throwing it and she's supporting the game. So that's a different charm." Hari told exclusively to FPJ.
'Every cricketer is born in Gully': Sharif, founder of Lumen Art Control Solutions LLP
With increasing demands for turf cricket, there have been concerns whether gully cricket will lose its popularity and cultural significance. Founder of LAC Solutions LLP, Sharif stated that every cricketer is born in gully while citing the example of legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar.
He added that playing turf cricket requires a different set of skills as it is modern-day format of the game.
"Sachin also played gully cricket and then started playing season cricket. So, every cricketer is born in gully only, I think. And then he becomes slowly, steadily pursues it and becomes a good cricketer." Sharif said.
"Here in turf, this has become a very modern day game, where people don't get tired. You play a lot of cricket on turf. So, here is a different set of skills required." he added.
Do Gully Cricket skills apply in Turf Cricket?
Avnish Mehta, founder of K Digital Curry, shared an insightful opinion on the transferability of skills from gully cricket to turf cricket. He also elaborated on nuanced disparities between the two formats.
"Turf cricket has a different pitch altogether and different area of expertise. So, you have to bowl them at perfect lengths. You have to bowl them at perfect lengths. You have to cram them up. You have to restrict the field and a lot of structure." he said.
"In Gully cricket, it's very much uneven in terms of depending on the additional space that you have, you place your filters. So, over there sometimes you just keep bowling the legs pin and you will easily win the matches." Avnish added.
