5 Must-Read Cricket Books
Your guide to the novels, essays and histories every cricket fan should read.
The five books featured here capture cricket in all its dimensions. One takes you through the smoky, complicated soul of Sri Lanka through the eyes of a man racing against time. Another sits you down and asks you to reflect on what the game has truly meant to you, personally and deeply. A third pulls back the curtain on how cricket became inseparable from India's social and political identity. Yet another breaks the game down to its finest craft - the art of a spinning finger, the stillness behind the stumps, the quiet genius of a close-in catch. And the last one hits the road entirely, turning the 2023 World Cup into a joyous, sprawling journey across a cricket-mad country.
Together, they remind us that no matter which side of a boundary you stand on, whether divided by generation, geography, or allegiance, the game has a remarkable way of pulling you in, holding a mirror up to the world around it, and never quite letting go.
1. Chinaman
Author: Shehan Karunatalika
Publisher: Penguin Books
Shehan Karunatilaka’s debut novel is an ostensible tale of Sri Lanka in the late 20th century through cricket and its many characters. A retired sports journalist, who is drinking himself to death, is on a quest to find a mystery spinner in Sri Lanka. Does he succeed in his tryst against time?
Fact and fiction, involving cricket incidents and personalities, are amalgamated with astute perfection. The storytelling is complemented with an extensively devised plot that keeps you invested throughout. Shehan’s writing is engaging, entertaining and thought-provoking. You are going to have an absolute blast reading this. Take my word for it.
You can read my full review of the book here.
2. Eye On Cricket
Author: Samir Chopra
Publisher: Harper Collins India
Eye on cricket is a collection of essays encapsulating the emotions of every cricket lover who has played or followed the game at any point in their life. Getting our first cricket bat, scoring our highest score in local cricket or enjoying an afternoon game during school/college days - each chapter in the book tugs a string that every cricket fan has buried somewhere deep withim themselves.
Samir Chopra offers a philosophical take on different types of fans and their relationship with the game. He also dwells upon topics of popular discourse - aggression and spirit of the game. The book provides an assurance that you can be divided by boundaries or generations but will always be united by cricket.
3. A Corner Of A Foreign Field
Author: Ramachandra Guha
Publisher: Penguin Books
The book is a comprehensive account of how India’s social fabric came to influence the development of cricket in India. Who were the first cricketers? When did the first Indian team toured England? What is the story behind India’s first cricket tournament? The book answers these and so much more.
Guha weaves an intriguing narrative where cricket found itself associated with social and political events in India’s history. You will be amazed to revisit the already known historical events, but with a touch of cricket. It enlightens you about how cricket found its feet in India and became an inseparable part of the Indian consciousness.
4. Mid-Wicket Tales
As the name suggests, the book is an ode to various aspects of cricket and the cricketers who excelled in them, across teams and generations. Close-in catching, captaincy, wicketkeeping, art of spin bowling and much more - the book is rooted in history, extensively researched and statistically rich.
It is a uniquely satisfying read about the thrill, approach and challenges involved with different skill sets. The authors’ nuanced writing on each subject is refreshing and provides you new perspectives and insights about the game and those who play it. You could be in India, West Indies or South Africa. But you will still find something or the other to pique your interest. Another of those books where the shared passion of the game shines through.
5. Gully Gully
Author: Aditya Iyer
Publisher: Penguin Books (Play)
Cricket World Cup is a festival, coming together of people who happen to share mutual love for a game. A game which is so engrained in every vein of our being that we forget there is a world outside it. The World Cup is arguably the biggest celebration of it. The book helps you revisit those beautiful six weeks of 2023.
The writing is fresh, sometimes poetic. Iyer delivers an entertaining prose. Cricket becomes the vehicle to travel the country and he takes the reader on a joyous and enthralling ride. Every city that hosted an India game becomes a character. From Lucknow’s food to Chennai’s weather, each chapter is filled with anecdotes and stories that are worth savoring.
Gully Gully has successfully carved out its own place among the vast library of cricket literature, standing out for its blend of travelogue, reportage, and deeply felt fandom. If you enjoy cricket writing that doubles up as a window into contemporary India, this is a book worth returning to, not just during World Cup season but any time you want to relive what the sport can mean to a country.
You can read my full review of the book here.
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In this blog, I unearth forgotten gems, celebrate historical triumphs, and explore the finest literature from the world of cricket.
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