Cricktake

Cricket has never been just about skill or results. Behind every tournament, format shift, and scheduling decision lies a deeper game of money, incentives, and power. From revenue concentration to unequal growth, the modern structure of cricket tells a story that fans rarely pause to question.This episode of Cricktake breaks down the economics behind ICC’s decisions. Joined by our first-ever guest, an Economics PhD Student, we examine how cricket’s financial boom reshaped governance, why money doesn’t automatically improve quality, how associate nations are left behind, and whether ICC today acts more like a governing body or an economic institution. A clear-eyed look at who benefits, who doesn’t, and where the game may be headed if nothing changes.#icc #cricket #cricketgoverningbody #bcci #ipl #economics 02:06 – What Is the Economics of Cricket06:09 – How ICC Revenues Exploded12:38 – Why the IPL Became Inevitable27:48 – Does Money Actually Improve Cricket?32:00 – Revenue Concentration & The India Question42:57 – Associate Nations & Unequal Growth58:56 – Final Verdict: What ICC is Doing Well and Where it can ImproveRELATED EPISODESWest Indies Cricket: The Eventual Decline (Part 1)👉 https://youtu.be/rKdZfmh9UuYUnwrapping Asia Cup 2025👉 https://youtu.be/ciN4b6bsiEUThe Ultimate ‘Test’: Saving Test Cricket👉 https://youtu.be/thqxof0N-0U🎧 Listen, Read, Follow: https://ecosystem.cricktake.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cricktake/id1849728711Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Instagram, TikTok, Substack & Medium.

After decades of dominance at home, India’s Test fortress has finally cracked. From historic collapses and selection puzzles to dressing-room tensions hiding in plain sight, this downturn has a face, and it belongs to Gautam Gambhir.This episode of Cricktake dissects the most turbulent stretch of India’s red-ball era. We break down the missteps, the ignored performers, the shifting power equations, and the staggering numbers behind a decline few saw coming. A raw, unfiltered look at the man, the moment, and the meltdown reshaping Indian Test cricket.01:13 - India’s Red-Ball Collapse01:58 - Fan Outrage & Emotional Meltdown05:21 - Shubman Gill, Workload & Format Confusion15:07 - Selection Mess & Ignoring Domestic Performers18:05 - Gambhir’s Hypocrisy & Coaching Credibility35:56 - Dressing Room Politics: Virat, Rohit & The Rift38:55 - The Stats That Bury Gambhir41:32 - Final Take & The Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ending

West Indies weren’t just a cricket team, they were a symbol of unity, resistance, and Caribbean identity.Part 1 of this two-part series explores how a scattered group of islands stitched together a cricketing civilization and created one of the most dominant teams in sports history.01:17 - The Birth of West Indies Cricket01:40 - Frank Worrell & the First Revolution16:31 - Clive Lloyd’s Golden Era22:21 - Sir Vivian Richards: The Aura29:53 - The Fall Begins

Fifty years after the first Women’s World Cup, India are champions.This episode of Cricktake dives into the 2025 Women’s World Cup - the richest and most-watched edition ever. From Mandira Bedi’s sponsorship in 2005 to India’s record-breaking chase and South Africa’s fearless run, we explore the power shifts that redefined women’s cricket.00:00 – Intro: 50 years since 1975 and the most watched Women’s World Cup ever02:18 – Segment 1: In The Middle – Power shifts and turning points02:33 – South Africa’s journey: fearless, emotional and unbreakable16:05 – Australia’s journey: human this time but still formidable25:00 – India’s journey: historic, emotional and full of belief42:35 – England’s journey: underwhelming, senior heavy and looking for renewal45:05 – Pakistan’s journey: gritty, improving and finding rhythm47:00 – Sri Lanka and New Zealand: flashes of brilliance lost to rain47:55 – Segment 2: What’s Next – the future of women’s cricket and its new power map

Before the men lifted their first World Cup in 1975, the women had already done it in 1973. Yet that story was quietly forgotten.This episode of Cricktake revisits the rise, neglect, and revival of women’s cricket - from Rachael Heyhoe Flint’s pioneering World Cup to the WPL’s packed stadiums and Australia’s blueprint for professionalization. We explore how gender-bland sexism, selective memory, and structural bias shaped the sport’s past, and ask a simple question that still echoes today:When will women’s cricket truly be seen as equal and not exceptional?00:07 - Introduction: The story cricket forgot02:16 - Segment 1: The Forgotten Past - 1973, erasure, and the gendered narrative12:54 - Segment 2: The Present - WPL, visibility vs. equity, and lived realities30:28 - Segment 3: What’s Next - Australia’s blueprint, India’s breakout, and the global roadmap🎧 Listen, Read, Follow: https://ecosystem.cricktake.com/Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Instagram, X, TikTok, Substack & Medium.

The Asia Cup 2025 reminded us how form, rhythm, and temperament define success in the subcontinent. India’s expected dominance was finally challenged by a late Pakistani surge, though not enough to shift the pundits’ predictions. Cricktake unwraps the tournament through its turning points, from Afghanistan’s struggle and Sri Lanka’s rise to the determined efforts of the UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong, revealing how structure and skill continue to shape Asian cricket’s story.

They were never on the team sheet but their voices shaped the game. From radio epics and velvet baritones to tactical dissections and chaotic one-liners, commentators have turned cricket into conversation. This episode of Cricktake charts the evolution of the mic, the masters who knew when to speak, the ones who didn’t, and the soundbites that became folklore. We break down the greats, the gimmicks, and the future of commentary in an age of AI and overload. And we ask the question most fans haven’t dared to voice. Who really deserves the mic today?

In an age of instant gratification and booming T20 leagues, is there still room for Test cricket, the format that defined the game? This episode of Cricktake explores the past, present, and uncertain future of the longest format. From five-day epics and Bazball experiments to collapsing boards and Gen Z apathy, we ask the question no one wants to answer: Is Test cricket dying or is it just evolving?

In June 2025, South Africa finally lifted the World Test Championship trophy, breaking decades of doubt and the weight of the “chokers” tag. This episode of Cricktake looks at how the Proteas’ victory rewrites their past, reshapes their present, and opens new questions about what comes next.

They came from different playbooks but collided on the same stage. One side was G² with Gill’s runs and Gambhir’s edge, the other driven by the bravado of Bazball. Across 25 days the first Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy gave us records, heartbreak and defiance, from Gill’s run-fest to Jadeja’s resilience, from England’s theatre to Siraj’s final roar. This episode of Cricktake relives the drama, unpacks the turning points and asks the question left hanging at The Oval. Who really won this 2–2?

After 18 long years, the wait is finally over. From flamboyant beginnings and near misses to heartbreaks that hardened into memes, RCB’s journey has defined the IPL in ways trophies never could. This episode of Cricktake traces the arc of a franchise that turned pain into cult, chaos into identity, and belief into silverware. We relive the stars, the scars, and the season that changed everything.