The Commonwealth of Cricket: A Lifelong Love Affair with the Most Subtle and Sophisticated Game Known to Humankind

by Ramachandra Guha

When Ramachandra Guha began following the game in the early 1960s, India was utterly marginal to the world of cricket: the country still hadn't won a Test match overseas; by the time he joined the Board of Control for Cricket in India, fifty years later, India had become world cricket's sole superpower.

The Commonwealth of Cricket is a first-person account of this astonishing transformation. The book traces the entire arc of cricket in India, across all levels at which the game is played: school, college, club, state, country. It presents vivid portraits of local heroes, provincial icons, and international stars.

Cast as a work of literature, The Commonwealth of Cricket is keenly informed by the author's scholarly training, the stories and sketches narrated against a wider canvas of social and historical change. The book blends memoir, anecdote, reportage and political critique, providing a rich, insightful and rivetingly readable account of this greatest of games as played in the country that has most energetically made this sport its own.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, History, India, Memoir, Audiobook

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2020

About the author

Ramachandra Guha was born in Dehradun in 1958, and educated in Delhi and Calcutta. He has taught at the University of Oslo, Stanford, and Yale, and at the Indian Institute of Science. He has been a Fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and also served as the Indo-American Community Chair Visiting Professor at the University of California at Berkeley.

After a peripatetic academic career, with five jobs in ten years on three continents, Guha settled down to become a full-time writer based in Bangalore. His books cover a wide range of themes, including a global history of environmentalism, a biography of an anthropologist-activist, a social history of Indian cricket, and a social history of Himalayan peasants.

Guha’s books and essays have been translated into more than twenty languages. The prizes they have won include the U.K. Cricket Society’s Literary Award and the Leopold-Hidy Prize of the American Society of Environmental History.

Reviews

[Vishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Ramachandra Guha's new book 'The Commonwealth of Cricket' when I was browsing a few days back. The subtitle of the book read 'A Lifelong Love Affair with the Most Subtle and Sophisticated Game Known to Humankind'. I thought I'll get it for my dad, as Guha writes about cricketers from the '70s and sometimes goes back to old times, the cricketers whom my dad is fond off. But when the book arrived, I read the blurb and the first page, and before long I was deep into the book. I immersed myself into the book, for the past few days, and when I came up for breath after I finished the book, it was the wee hours of today morning.

'The Commonwealth of Cricket' starts as a cricketing memoir. Guha talks about how he started watching cricket, when he started playing, his school and college cricketing days. At some point the books paints a wider canvas as Guha talks about cricket history, his favourite cricketers, the cricketers he has met, about the matches he has watched. Then he comes down to almost today, and spends some time on his brief stint as a cricket administrator and the interesting things that happened and the controversies that ensued.

If you are into cricket books, you know exactly what this is – memoir, cricket history and culture, descriptions and anecdotes of great players and favourite players from school, club, state and national teams, commentary on contemporary cricketing issues – this is exactly what C.L.R.James writes about in his masterpiece 'Beyond a Boundary'. Many Indian cricket writers, especially the good ones, are obsessed with C.L.R.James' book. Some of them have tried writing their own versions of it. Rajan Bala did, Mukul Kesavan did. This is Guha's version, his nod to the master. Most of the other books are interesting reads, but that's it. But Guha's book, it is better than that. It is amazing. Every page is beautiful. Reading this book gave me a lot of pleasure. I even took delight in finding mistakes in a couple of cricket statistics that Guha quotes 😁 The chapter on Sachin Tendulkar dragged on a bit, but outside of that, the book was beautiful and perfect.

My favourite chapters were the early ones which were autobiographical and the chapter on Guha's favourite Pakistani cricketers. There is a long section in it on Javed Miandad, which I loved, and which made me smile. Guha also describes a anecdote in which he has a beautiful long conversation with a Pakistani cricket fan in Copenhagen (of all places). That was one of my favourite parts of the book. I also loved the parts of the book in which Guha talks about cricketers from a bygone era who had retired before I was born. I was delighted when I read a section dedicated to Keith Miller, one of my favourites. There was also one on Vijay Hazare which was very beautiful.

In the last chapter of the book, in which Guha gives a nod to philosopher William James by calling it 'Varieties of Cricketing Chauvinism' (William James wrote a book called 'The Varieties of Religious Experience'), he says this –

"There are two fundamental axes of cricketing chauvinism : of nation and of generation. Every cricket fan almost without exception is born with them, and most cricket fans never outgrow them."

I smiled when I read that. It is a beautiful chapter on being a cricket fan and of outgrowing this chauvinism and I felt that Guha's own experience mirrored mine.

I loved 'The Commonwealth of Cricket'. The only problem I had with the book was the title. It could have been better. Guha has written four cricket books and edited a fifth one, and surprisingly this is the first cricket book of his that I have read. I don't know how this compares to his masterpiece 'A Corner of a Foreign Field', because I haven't read that yet, but when I compare this to other cricket books I've read, I can say that this is one of my favourites. Cricket has a rich body of literature compared to other sports, and cricket books have been around for more than a century and a half, longer than any other sport. Guha's newest book is a beautiful new addition to this vast, rich ocean. The master, C.L.R.James, would have been proud.

Guha's last cricket book came out in 2004. After a long hiatus he has published his new one. I hope this is not his swansong and there is more left in the tank.

Have you read 'The Commonwealth of Cricket'? What do you think about it?

[Hammerlock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quality of writing is distinctly average. Gets tedious and is a slog to finish.

[E.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 For fans of Rama Guha, a great read. I doubt if others will be able to connect to it !

[Avnish Anand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Ramchandra Guha’s memoir about his lifelong love affair with cricket. As a fan, player, writer, historian and administrator. This isn’t for everyone. But for a certain kind of cricket fan it’s a dream book.

Guha is uniquely qualified to write such a book. He is a cricket romantic. The most hopeless of fans. He played cricket at a decent level. He is a wonderful writer on cricket and a great historian and academic. He also had been around cricketers of all types. Has lived through and witnessed India’s remarkable rise. He is well read and travelled and has a treasure trove of stories.

This book will speak to the hardcore cricket fan. The one who still longs for test cricket and hunts old book stores for a dog eared copy of Fingleton.

Guha doesn’t disappoint. I have read and loved all his previous books and this one is another wonderful addition. As a fan you can identify with his fandom and his travails.

Some of the chapters are excellent. The one about Pakistan cricketers is possibly my favourite. Which culminated with a lovely story of a Pakistani fan in Copenhagen. Loved the bit about Javed Miandad also. I want to read his autobiography now, thanks to Guha. The last one about cricket chauvinism is another one. It reminds you that our fandom and our appreciation of the beauty of the game trumps everything. You totally lose yourself in Guha’s tales. There are two chapters dedicated to his ultimately failed tryst to clean up the game in India.

There are echoes of that great book - CLR James’ Beyond a Boundary. But I am not implying it’s in the same class.

Guha is not without his faults though. One, he is too biased towards his favourites. His fandom gets the better of his objectivity as a writer sometimes. But as a fan you accept it and relate to it. And you can live with it.

The other issue is his rabid socialism and anti-establishment stance. We all know that there is rampant corruption in the game. But most of us can’t do anything about it. Guha got a chance to do something about it. But he’s too idealist and impractical. And ultimately resigns.

He is such a wise guy but some of his arguments on these matters are biased or poorly informed. He criticises Virat Kohli for getting rid of Kumble as a coach and claims that this kind of player power is unprecedented in any sport in the world. Guha should know better as he’s been in the USA for long periods. The player empowerment in the NBA brought about by the likes of Lebron James dwarfs what Kohli did.

These apart, this is a fine book. Reminds you how good Ram Guha is as a cricket writer. And how you wish he wrote more books. Especially the ones he writes as a fan.

[Anal Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ramachandra Guha is the ultimate (test) cricket romantic, as has been evident through his brilliant books and articles on the topic through the years. This one serves as his memoir with cricket as a central theme - playing cricket as a kid, following the game passionately for decades, gobbling up cricket literature to producing it, and finally the brief stint as an administrator. He covers the game at all levels - club, college/university, domestic, international - and is peppered with wonderful stories of illustrious cricketing mates, encounters with global legends, and a cricket-crazy uncle who still stays committed to the game. There are detailed accounts of matches (mostly in the 70s), but more importantly of key phases within - a great bowling spell, batting counter-attacks, thrilling finishes - the stuff that makes the game such a joy for all of us.

Guha makes his partisanship clearly known - test cricket, Karnataka, his boyhood club FUCC - but what bothers me is that how they creep into the opinions/conclusions he makes. Yes, IPL has been strife with corruption but he refuses to even consider the positives it has brought to Indian cricket. He over-indexes the contribution of Karnataka players relative to other regions, including while pushing for some decisions as part of the SC-appointed CoA. On that, however, its admirable how he passionately and honestly took on his role to implement the Lodha Committee reforms and clean up BCCI administration.

[Diptakirti Chaudhuri]

Memoir of a life spent in playing, watching and loving cricket – recounted with passion and humour, with a touch of wistfulness. Guha makes his partisanship clear from the beginning (and continues till the last line): Karnataka over Mumbai, Test cricket over T20 and fans over administrators.
The most beautiful parts of the book are Guha's boyhood and adolescent years, where he learned to play and love the game, egged on by classics of cricketing literature, illustrious classmates and - most importantly - a cricket-crazy uncle. The 1970s form the bulk of his memories, evoking the bygone era with a lush writing style.
Considering Guha is still such an active and passionate watcher of the game, India's exploits of the 2010s are inexplicably missing from this memoir. Sachin Tendulkar's retirement in 2013 is pretty much the last major event, with only a whiff of Kohli's exploits. India's rise as pace-bowling superpower, our increasing mastery on foreign soil and our continued presence as a cricketing superpower are incomplete without a fan like Ramachandra Guha exulting over it.
Nevertheless, a fine cricket book - one written with the passion of a Kohli, the finesse of a Vishwanath and the memory of - well - the elephant which visited Oval during India's 1971 tour of England!

[Suhasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd after half of first chapter due to the awful narrator - Sid Sagar.

I don't know why Indian authors choose non-Indian accented Indian origin narrators!
The narrator can't even pronounce his own name properly (SiD Say-gaar, really?)
Botched all the Indian names and places too.
Also no research, whatsoever, on how to pronounce the names?
Professional narrators do hours and hours of research before starting to narrate an audiobook. This one is just lazy.
La-la Amarnath instead of Laala Amarnath, CK Nydu instead of Naydu, list goes on!!!

"Byomkesh Bakshi Stories" audiobook on Audible is a perfect example of how Indian books should be narrated. In that, a different narrator nailed the suspenseful voice with perfect pronunciations and accent.

Even the writing was average. He described a close match in a boring way. This felt like a personal memoir rather than a cricketing book.

Aaaand it's my 2nd Ramachandra Guha book and 2nd Ramachandra Guha DNF. ☺️

[Umesh Kesavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After wrestling with Gandhi for so many years, the historian is back to his permanent refuge of joy : Cricket. The book is a throwback to days when Ranji trophy matches were played in jam packed stadia. Contrast this with 2020 when many state associations prefer white ball cricket in the Ranji tournament. While "A corner of a foreign field" is India's history via cricket, this nostalgic volume is Guha's own life story via cricket. His love for cricket comes through in the first chapters and his integrity shines in the retelling of his tenure as an administrator. Even as the historian turns up at enough points in the book, this ultimately remains a fanboy's love letter who reads CLR James when his wife delivers a baby and dreams about Warne's leg-breaks for inspiration.

[Shreya Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the result of Ramachandra Guha's immense love for cricket and his integrity towards this Gentleman's game and shines on throughout the book. 'The Commonwealth of cricket' is a very well-written cricketing memoir, it begins with Guha talking about his relationship with cricket in his school days, where he used to watch cricket (from the 1970s) to Sachin Tendulkar's retirement (2013). This memoir is written with a touch of passion and humor. The narrative he has weaved around the event( match performance descriptions) and the cricketers he encounters (state level, national, international) is brilliant.

I would definitely recommend this book to people who are into cricket because this book is has everything, starting from cricket history and its development, to anecdotes from great players.

[Ramachandra M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the most romantic cricket books I’ve read. Mr Guha has penned down his tryst with this sophisticated game, in his own inimitable fashion. The author’s early learnings of the game under the tutelage of his uncle Doraiswamy, and his unbridled Karnataka and FUCC loyalties, are my favourite part of this book. If you love cricket and enthral in the game’s anecdotes, go for this book. You’ll be thrilled to bits !!

[Pratheek P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me fall in love with the art of cricket writing. Ramachandra Guha is to cricket writing what Harsha Bhogle is to cricket commentary. Just makes you adore the nuances of the gentleman's game, such as a crisp cover drive, a screamer at slip or an inswinger clipping the top of off. Along the way, I discovered a few other cricket writers like Suresh Menon and I'm looking forward to read their books too. The all-time XI mentioned at various stages in this book made me realize that I'm not the only one who does that on my scribblepad!

[An]

pickety packety pockety puckety, no you mod it’s picket packet pocket pucket

[Aayush Kucheria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book makes me feel like a child listening to my grandad’s stories of his time

[Martin Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but unlikely to appeal to those without a deep interest in Indian cricket. A worthwhile insight into the lost world of cricket in India in the 1970s

[Vaibhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Commonwealth of Cricket is a first-person account of this astonishing transformation. The book traces the entire arc of cricket in India, across all levels at which the game is played: school, college, club, state, country. It presents vivid portraits of local heroes, provincial icons, and international stars.

Cast as a work of literature, The Commonwealth of Cricket is keenly informed by the author’s scholarly training, the stories and sketches narrated against a wider canvas of social and historical change. The book blends memoir, anecdote, reportage and political critique, providing a rich, insightful and rivetingly readable account of the greatest of games as played in the country that has most energetically made this sport its own

The book basically begins with Ram watching first matches at the Indian Forest college in Dehradun. How his father being a scientist at that institute used to play matches for that college and brought Ram alongside to play sometimes and watch those cricket matches. The author talks in the first para how his interest developed in this sport of cricket in the early days itself.

He talks about the first matches played between Survey of India, the Indian Military Academy, and the Forest Research Institute (FRI), and IFC College. He recalls various sporting incidents as to when he used to live at the IFC with his father and gives a vivid view of the sport played in the local districts of Dehradun alongside the Shivalik hills. He recalls various cricketing stories told by his father which invoke curiosity in the author at a very early age. He tells us about the local stadiums of Doon and describes how beautiful were they to look and play at. The grounds of the FRI, Survey of India, Indian Military academy were all mesmerizing to look at that were set up by the British. The first chapter is a catalogue describing his stay in the Doon school, how teams at Doon school shaped him up, about various clubs such as RPs Flacon, Sporting youngsters Xi, Rest of Dehradun XI - that made the highlights of the Dehradun and much more

When he moved to Bangalore he tells us the story of one his favorite cricketing club, FUCC (Friends Union Cricket Club), his rivalries with the BUCC (Bangalore Union Cricket Club) and swastic Union Club and how they controlled KSCA in that era. His love for Mysore State Cricket Association has been abundantly mentioned in the book. How the state (first class) cricket was different from crickets played in the valleys and how at that age Ranji cricket brought crowds of 20-30K in the stadiums. Various great zonal rivalries are included in the book between Bihar vs Bengal in the East Zone and Services vs Delhi in the North. The matches were most fiercely fought between, where Hyderabad, Madras (later renamed Tamil Nadu) and Mysore (later Karnataka) competed for the top spot.

He describes the MSCA (Mysore cricket state association) led by M chinnaswamy. And his love for the Mysore Ranji cricket team, his home team which included players like Prasanna, the captain, two other established international stars, Chandrasekhar and G.R. Viswanath, with a fourth in the making, the wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani. The other members of the team included the experienced all-rounders V.S. Vijaykumar, B. Vijaykrishna and A.V. Jayaprakash; two young batsmen from Swastic Union, Sanjay Desai and Brijesh Patel; and the FUCC’s
own Sudhakar Rao.

Growing up he describes his playing days in the St Stephens College in Delhi. How the game was played at Mori gate at the Ridge.
He describes the aura of cricket in Delhi that he witnessed when he was in Delhi, fellow teammates at college who went on to play for Indian cricket team and other such similar stories. His knowledge on the Indian cricket expanded a lot in that college. He describes the atmosphere of the cricket grounds of that 1970s. There was no security in the ground. And it was not just banners that spectators brought with them, Spectators setting off fireworks; another spent all day blowing brightly coloured balloons and releasing them into the sky, from where they fell, one by one, among on people and sometimes in the playing arena too.

Various series with West Indies, Australia and England of the 1970s have also been beautifully placed between the chapters describing the play of cricket, new Indian stars rising to the occasion, fear and charisma of international cricketers at that time. The author talks about the aggressive batting of Sanath Jayasuriya, how Ranatunga and Allan Border found out hard to play Javagal Srinath, classic WI batsmen whose thunder was stolen by the dasher-and-bashers, by Greenidge, Richards, Fredericks, Kallicharran and Lloyd.

Various cricket XIs keep on updating in the book of India, Karnataka state team, Pakistan Team etc. which shows how the historical arc of the cricket has changed. The author list his previous XIs mentioned in his older books and updates them with a set of new players. Its totally feels like a coming of age comparison and is delightful to read where we form our own opinions as to which players to keep or not.

Sachin Tendulkar – there is a separate chapter dedicated to him, how his skill and versatility of his batsmanship made millions of Indians temporarily forget their everyday insecurities and come together to cheer their new hero, Tendulkar brought solace and consolation to a divided nation by the quality of his batsmanship. In cricketing terms, Sachin Tendulkar defined the Age; indeed, he was the Age. Future cricket historians will speak of the Age of Tendulkar, as we speak of the Age of Grace and the Age of Bradman and the Age of Sobers.

Various other cricketers mentioned in the book were –
C.K. Nayadu – an authentic cricketing great
Vijay Nayadu
Syed Mushtaq Ali
Vinoo Mankad
GR Vishwanath – How he met him in the 1970s, his boyhood hero—because he batted like a dream, because he was a gentle and good man, because he came from home state of Karnataka, because he was the first Test cricketer Author ever shook hands with
Bishan Singh Bedi
Erapalli Prasanna
Vijay Hazare - quietly assertive, a gentleman well aware of his own genius. In the late glow of his retirement he retained this distinctive combination of dignity and pride, on how he admired the artistry of Frank Worrell
V.M Muddiah – First player to play Tests from FUCC
Hemu Adhikari –first Indian cricketer to make physical
fitness central to his game
Polly Umrigar – a stylish Bombay player who had large hands
Lala Amarnath - first Indian to score a Test hundred, against an England Test side led by Douglas Jardine, the first captain of a Test side representing independent India, in Australia in 1947, against a team led by Don Bradman. He describes him as a flamboyant character and for battling against the Maharajas and colonial civil servants who in his time ruled Indian Cricket.
Bishan Singh Bedi – who gifted the author a signed Gun and Moore bat after a dinner.
Arun lal – known as piggy Lal, being his senior at college
Flower brothers of Zimababwe
Anil kumble
Rahul Dravid
Javagal Srinath
MAK Pataudi – how the author when meeting him turned into a frothing blabbering fan, how he describes his charisma, his flambuoyance and his royal attitude towards the game
Kapil Dev – an essential and indispensable part of the Indian team. And how he was never dropped for lack of form, or because of injury.

He Talks about all the famous Ranji players of the 70s era - K.S. Indrajit sinhji, later to keep wickets for India, as well as Prem Bhatia, Ramesh Dewan and Bharat Awasthy, K.L. Mahesh, K.M. Ramprasad, P.S. Vishwanath and M. Navinchandra and V subramanya, M.L. Jaisimha, Rajeshwar Vats, Praveen Oberoi, Rajinder Amarnath, Dodda Ganesh, David Johnson, Abhimanyu Mithun and R. Vinay Kumar.

Some cricketing books mentioned in the book were -

Ralph Barker’s Ten Great Bowlers
John Nyren’s The Young Cricketer’s Tutor,
H.S. Altham and E.W. Swanton’s A History of Cricket, and ‘any eight of Cardus,
A.A. Thomson’s Cricket Bouquet
Robinson’s Between Wickets
Fingleton’s Masters of Cricket
Sujit Mukherjee’s The Romance of Indian Cricket and Playing for India,
R. Perumal’s Cricketing Reminiscences

[Raghu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guha can write entertainingly on any topic and with even more authority on cricket, which he has played and followed with a special passion. With amazing recall for events, details,  personalities (large and small), and anecdotes (not always bound by facts), he weaves a wonderful narrative of his life as a cricket partisan, albeit a well-read and (apart from his state team of Karnataka) a non-parochial one.

Much like with "India after Gandhi," Guha has the benefit of having lived through the rise of India from an underdog to the global hegemon (financially and administratively, not yet sportingly) of cricket. His best contribution in this book and his brief stint as BCCI administrator might be his fortunately tone-deaf insistence on resolution of nefarious conflicts-of interest while all around him (nepotistic politicians, current and former stars, corporates, etc.) are reveling in the power and money in Indian cricket. His old-fashioned notion of putting the game ahead of these modern realities also gets him on the bad side of his cricketing heroes (Gavaskar, Brijesh Patel, et al.).

It was depressing but not surprising to see the inner workings of how the game is run laid bare and how it's administrators (even now as the historic Feroze Shah Kotla ground is renamed after the dubious Arun Jaitley) accrue all glory to themselves, even ahead of star players. The one accommodation that Guha should have made is to the players, who are as much victims of this system of favors and wheeling-dealing, given that their cricketing and hence earning lives are so short.

As Ed Smith's review* of the book says, it's hard to critique a love letter (to the game) and this is a deeply romantic one.

*https://www.ft.com/content/b0a8c11e-a... b2a2d4b13

[Dipra Lahiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with Mukul Kesavan, Guha is amongst the finest Indian writers on cricket today, effortlessly conveying the fan's eternal love for the game, as well as demonstrating sharp analysis and insights on technique and player psychology. The last 3 chapters deal with his short tenure as an administrator, which he ultimately quit in frustration. The perennial problem of 'conflict of interest' was a crucial factor, and while Guha names some names, he stops short of delivering a lethal blow, that could perpetually resolve one of the most pernicious problems in Indian cricket.

[Sameer Gudhate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember the first time you fell in love with a game—not for the glamour or the stars, but for the joy it brought to your sun-drenched afternoons and rainy-day daydreams? That’s exactly the feeling Ramachandra Guha evokes in The Commonwealth of Cricket. A celebrated historian best known for his deep dives into Indian politics and biographies of Gandhi, Guha steps away from the corridors of power and ideology to return to his first, truest love—cricket.

Now, here’s a confession: I’ve never really played cricket. Sure, I’ve done the whole gully cricket thing—plastic stumps, underarm bowling, and the occasional broken window—but that’s about it. Basketball was always my game, my court, my zone. Yet, Guha’s storytelling pulled me in. Because this book isn’t just for seasoned cricket players or stat-heads. It’s for anyone who’s ever been enchanted by a sport, any sport, and the stories wrapped around it.

At its heart, The Commonwealth of Cricket is Guha’s coming-of-age story—intertwined with India’s evolution as a cricketing nation. From the dusty fields of Dehradun in the 1960s to the plush stadium boxes of the 2000s, we follow Guha’s journey: a young boy watching Ranji matches with wide-eyed wonder, a college-level player who idolized G.R. Viswanath, and eventually, an administrator trying to clean up the mess in the BCCI.

But the book is more than just a personal journey. Guha takes us through the changing landscape of Indian cricket, from the pre-Kapil Dev era where victories were rare, to the Age of Sachin where records fell like ninepins, to India’s current reign as a cricketing superpower. And he doesn’t do this from a distance—he brings in local legends, lesser-known players, and emotional moments that you probably won’t find on Wikipedia.

Guha’s prose is like a perfectly executed no-look pass—effortless, intelligent, and quietly dazzling. It’s a mix of literary flair and journalistic clarity, with a healthy dose of wit. Whether he's reminiscing about a school match or critiquing cricket’s obsession with celebrity, he brings both gravitas and a light touch.

And while you don’t have to be a cricket historian to enjoy it, a little background certainly enhances the experience. That said, even if you’re a casual fan, his storytelling is accessible, and his love for the game is contagious.

Although this isn’t a novel with fictional characters, Guha paints vivid portraits of real-life heroes. You’ll meet his uncle Durai, who first introduced him to the game, and players like Polly Umrigar and Bishan Bedi, not just as athletes but as complex personalities.

What’s refreshing is Guha’s honesty—he can be reverential and critical in the same breath. He lauds someone’s talent but won’t shy away from pointing out their flaws, especially on the moral front. That integrity in narration makes his admiration all the more believable.


The book isn’t linear—and that’s a good thing. Guha structures the chapters around themes and phases of his life, which allows him to move fluidly between past and present. From the charm of Dehradun to the murky politics of cricket boards, each chapter offers a fresh texture, preventing the narrative from going stale.

Standouts include Handshakes with Heroes, Sightings of Sachin, and the beautifully nostalgic Cricket in Paradise.

More than anything, the book is about how sport—and cricket in particular—shapes identities, relationships, and even nations. It touches upon elitism in Indian sport, the politics of selection, and how fandom can evolve into fanaticism.

Yet, there’s also tenderness. You feel the joy of a boy clutching a cricket book, the pride in regional teams challenging Bombay’s dominance, and the quiet pain of seeing the sport become a corporate circus.

There were moments that genuinely tugged at me—like the scene where young Guha gets to shake hands with his idol G.R. Viswanath, or the quiet dignity with which he recounts his exit from the BCCI. And I chuckled when he mentioned reading CLR James in the hospital while his wife delivered their baby—because that’s peak cricket-nerd energy!

Despite not being a cricket player myself, I found myself swept up in the emotion. That says something, doesn’t it?

The book’s biggest strength is its authenticity. You feel Guha’s love for the game in every page. He’s never trying to impress you with stats or dramatic retellings. Instead, he invites you into his world—quietly, warmly, and with open arms.

Also, his social commentary—though subtle—is razor-sharp. He knows where the game has stumbled, and he isn’t afraid to call it out.

Some readers might find the regional focus—especially on Bangalore and Karnataka cricket—a bit too niche. And yes, at times the anecdotes can feel indulgent or slightly repetitive. A little trimming here and there wouldn’t have hurt. But these are minor quibbles in a book so rich in heart.

As someone who’s always belonged more to the clay court than the cricket pitch, I wasn’t expecting to connect so deeply with this book. But Guha reminded me that sport is universal—it binds us through memories, heroes, heartbreaks, and hope. His reverence for the game, his reflections on its evolution, and his unapologetic fanhood made me smile more than once.

The Commonwealth of Cricket is nostalgic without being sentimental, critical without being cynical, and personal without being self-indulgent. Whether you’re a cricket buff or just someone who’s ever fallen in love with a sport, there’s something here for you.

I’d rate it a strong 4.5 out of 5.

And maybe—just maybe—it’ll make you want to pick up a bat again. Or in my case, pass the ball, take the shot, and remember what it feels like to play a game you love.

[Sourojit Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. The parts dealing with the author's role in the BCCI committee could have been made a bit more brief though..

[Abhishek Dafria · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you live in the subcontinent, there is no way that your life has not been affected by cricket. Love it or hate it, you cannot ignore it. Each one of us could go back in their past and dig out stories from our lives associated with this sport. And that is what Ramachandra Guha does, though his association with cricket is a tad deeper than a regular fan. The Commonwealth of Cricket is as much about Guha as it is about cricket. The book opens with a taste of club cricket in the green landscapes of Dehradun where Guha fell in love with the game watching his uncle achieve great laurels in the sport at that level. Guha recalls thrilling matches, scoreboards and names of local cricketers that add a sweet rustic charm to the book. Once he moves to Bangalore as a youngster, he starts to enjoy the game being played at a higher professional level and from here starts his distinct fascination with Karnataka cricket matches in the Ranji trophy. Guha relishes the battle with Bombay, the undisputed champions of this format in India, and his admiration for the players from his state and even a few from the opposition only grows. Guha reminiscences his own cricketing journey as a bowler and his unfulfilled dream of playing for the national team. Towards the second half of the book we start to read more on the familiar names of national heroes like Gavaskar and Kapil Dev followed by a chapter dedicated to the champion, Sachin Tendulkar, as Guha now delves into the next phase of cricket’s growth - the Test matches played between international teams.

The book does not have a formal structure and it does not need to. It is a compilation of Guha’s thoughts on cricket, his links with cricket, his experiences of meeting cricketers, his joy and angst with cricket. The last part of the book digs into the politics in cricket as experienced by the author himself during his brief stint as a part of the Committee setup to run the national cricketing body, BCCI. The book is thoughtful, refreshing and a relatable journey for any Indian. It is not a critical analysis of the game, nor is it filled with any verses worshipping the players. It is simply the story of a man who feels blessed to have played and watched this game, this game that many like him would call a love of their life!

[Simple · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read his history books, some of which I liked, and the latter ones were way too obvious propaganda literature, and I stopped reading his writings on history.

I thought I would give it a chance at his cricket writings, as I was impressed by his piece on cricinfo, where he wrote beautifully on the Kohli-Kumble rift.

Coming to the book

Pros:
Some good anecdotes, since he has edited a book called "Picador Book of Cricket", which has some fabulous collections of cricket articles and essays, he has used those here to give the stories a more nuanced essence.

I wholly support his point of view on the batsman vs bowlers debate.


Cons:
1) Too much of Guha and less of cricket.
2) Guha, the agenda-based political historian, has not stopped bringing the agenda-driven politics here and there .
2.1) Example: Mention of Arnab Goswami, Swarajyamag, and was not able to watch cricket due to
Babri riots.
2.2) The media is mentioned as two-directional, Modi lovers/fans /bhakts, and the ethical ones
like the scroll and caravan, which Guha quotes to make his points.
2.3) His rigidity in the thought process that those who think like him are the only dignified,
learned people, and others are just jingoistic or uneducated. Like he mentions twice, how he
gave a standing ovation to Javed Mindad post his dismissal in Chinnaswamy, and the person
sitting next to him refused to do so, who was later called names by the learned author.
2.4) He was critical of Sachin's last innings, which I agree with, but went too soft on Akram(who
was alleged of match fixing back then), a chapter on the favourite Pakistani XI is good since
he wants to please a section, but the mention of 1983, 2011, and 2007 cricketers was
mostly missing or were not in the same lines.
There are many more points, but we could have two results, intuitive and counterintuitive, as researchers. The counterintuitive results are what make research different from a white paper. But I think the author is unwilling to go an inch against his biased, intuitive feelings(which may be correct many times, but not always). I will keep reading him with the hope that the researcher in him prevails to the point where facts take precedence over personal beliefs.

[Sujit Choudhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars: A deeply personal memoir marred by political bias and a lack of perspective.

Ramachandra Guha’s book starts beautifully, succeeding as an intimate autobiography told through the lens of cricket. Guha starts with his childhood in Dehradun, complete with a legendary cricket-mad uncle named Durai. These early chapters are nostalgic, funny, and brimming with the youthful obsession that turns casual watchers into lifelong devotees. He successfully traces his journey from a boy listening to crackling radio commentary to an adult who can analyse the footwork of Sunil Gavaskar with the precision of a scholar.

What makes Guha unique is his ability to pivot seamlessly from an emotional anecdote—such as meeting his hero, G.R. Viswanath, by chance on a street in Bangalore—to a scathing political critique. The final section of the book, detailing his brief, ultimately frustrating stint as an administrator on the BCCI's Committee of Administrators, is essential reading. It’s a candid exposé of the nepotism and celebrity culture he witnessed firsthand.

However, the book's critical edge is often dulled by the author’s own biases. Guha fails to fully acknowledge the immense contribution of businessmen administrators, from Jagmohan Dalmiya to N. Srinivasan, who made the BCCI rich and expanded the game successfully across all parts of India, well beyond the major cities.

Furthermore, he is heavily biased against T20 cricket and the IPL, which he views dismissively. This format is hugely popular with people of all demographics—men and women, boys and girls—and has brought the game to those with a shorter attention span. His anti-T20 stance feels out of touch with modern cricketing reality.

Finally, the book ends with what feels like an unwarranted political diatribe against the ruling party, the BJP, and the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Modi. This political commentary is tangential and detracts significantly from the core subject: his lifelong love affair with the game itself

[Md Akhlaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧

𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝

Author : RAMCHANDRA GUHA
Published by : @4thestatebooks An imprint of @harpercollinsin

★★★★★

The Commonwealth of Cricket is not just a book, rather it is a very personal and complex account about India's most loved sport and it's intricate politics through interesting anecdotal evidence by one of the greatest writer and political historians of our generation Ramchandra Guha.

There's everything about the cricket in this book but this is not only about cricket in India but also in other countries too. This is also not a history, but a personal life voyage through that person's principle passion. His admiration for cricketers is untouched.

'The Commonwealth of Cricket‘ unwraps as a cricketing biography. Guha talks about how he began watching cricket when he started playing, his school, college and Dehradun cricketing days.

Also, Guha considerably talks about cricket history, his favourite cricketers, the cricketers he has personally encountered, about the matches he has attended to. Then he comes down to almost current time and devours some time on his quick voyage as a cricket administrator and the enthralling things that happened and the controversies that ensued. There's a chapter 'Some Favourite Pakistanis' in this book where Guha illustrated about the first family of Pakistan Cricket and stories of some legendary cricketers Like Majid Khan, Hanif Mohammad, Saeed Anwar, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis and others of Pakistan.

This is a very unique and highly entertaining book. The author has presented a thoughtful analysis of the victorious evolution of cricket - the game of choice in India. The book is full of cricketing events joined together by players past and present which the author has painted over the changing background since the 1960s in India.

#readwithak #readwithharpercollins

[Ashish Taneja · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Boundless Romance for the game of Cricket!

Ramachandra Guha is widely known for his history books but I never knew that he played cricket till the time he was in college. He rubbed shoulders with known names like Arun Lal, Kirti Azad, Piyush Pandey etc. while he was in Delhi. Prior to that he followed and played cricket in Bangalore and venerated icons like G. Vishwanath.
This vindicates the fact that he has the authority and knowledge to write a book about cricket! Add to it the limitless passion for the game - and you get this great book.

In his own words he is partisan towards Karnataka cricketers and left arm spinners. He just talks and talks about Test cricket and book doesn't have much mentioned about ODIs & T20s. But I didn't mind it at all - as it is a book written by a fan and he has every right to include or omit anything he deems fit.

I loved the chapter about legends from other nations where he set aside the shitty concept of nationalism and focused on pure skill and love of the game! I resonated with him deeply when he says that he no longer cares who wins or loses the match - and just enjoys the exhibition of skill!

In the last two chapters he writes about his stint as an administrator with BCCI - and it depressed me a lot. We all know that some non-transparent shit goes on in BCCI, but no one has an exact idea what is wrong. The author doesn't mince any words and directly targets some big names in Indian cricket. He might be wrong but just the act of talking openly impressed me greatly!

A great read. Especially for Test Cricket fans!

[Ankur Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guha's personal memoir of his association with cricket as a fan, amateur player, historian and a brief stint as an administrator is both entertaining and enlightening for any cricket lover. I think all cricket fans have rather detailed descriptive bits of significant matches etched in their memories starting from their impressionable years. And somehow embellished retelling of those stories in words have a certain charm that highlights on youtube can't quite match. Guha has used similar anecdotes from various matches he has seen, read, been part of or just heard of from other sources. His stories from the earlier generation provide us with mythical tales of earlier legends and the stories from our generation hits that sweet nostalgic spot. Though, the stories become rather thin 2000s onwards which is a shame but he makes up for that with inside stories from his time in COA giving us a view of den of corruption that Indian cricket board is. Definitely a must read if you have more than a passing interest in cricket.

[Shankar Bhamidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Till this book, I had not realized that Ram Guha, one of India’s foremost historians and thinkers was also one of India’s best cricket writers. This book describes his lifelong passion for the sport starting with the influence of his uncle at an early age. He also describes the impact of various cricketers and cricket games especially in the 1970s (when he played for St Stephens) but all the way till the present day. He concludes with his experience trying to clean up the administrative issues in the main cricket body of India and the many issues he faced leading to his resignation.

In addition to the writing, his memory of the many events in his life especially as they relate to cricket was mind boggling. For someone who can barely remember what he had for lunch, the self awareness of Guha as well as his passion for the game was awe inspiring.

Some parts were a little dry and overly detailed and my eyes glazed over the occasional “best of ..” lists of players but other than that an amazing book.

[S Ravishankar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is an autobiographical account of a player and follower of the game. The book mainly talks about facets of the game between mid sixties to the present time with more focus on the first two of these decades. The author recounts his experiences of Cricket as a young boy and goes on to boldly describe his experiences as a player, a writer, a speaker and an administrator. He talks about various characters and players; with the honesty that is seldom found in such books.

This book is a must read for keen followers of Cricket born in the fifties in India or the subcontinent. The book relives the big moments of the game that we were a part of from the time we were growing up. The chapter on administration that deals with the IPL and the T20 game was so interesting. My love affair with Test Cricket received a massive boost after having read this book.

A top-class book written by a top-class human being !

[Shalaj Lawania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to cop some responsibility for this hence I'm giving it an extra star.

I might've been misled by the title and by Guha's previous books and expected something totally different: a well-researched, nuanced historical account of cricket (like India After Gandhi). I realized very quickly that I had picked up the wrong Guha book, since Corner Of A Foreign Field has already been written for that purpose.

But even as a memoir, and a memoir about cricket which is my weakness, it didn't really hold my attention. Maybe because it got pretty self-indulgent ("here is a list of cricketers I shook hands with", "here are multiple lists of playing XIs") or maybe because it struggled between functioning as a memoir and a match report. Some highlights with behind the scenes stories of some tours and his time at CoA, but you won't miss much if you don't read this book (cricket fans might still like it).

[Appu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What do they know of cricket who only cricket know”? Asked C.L.R. James, Carribean nationalist and cricket writer. This enigmatic question suggests that cricket is tied up with the social and cultural milieu in which it is played in a more intimate way than any other sport. One cannot understand cricket without understanding the culture, history and politics of the society where it is played. Conversely cricket provides a window into the culture, history and politics of the countries where this game is played. So Guha’s whimsical and anecdotal account of his involvement with cricket and cricketers becomes a cultural history of post independence India. Written in Guha’s trade mark lucid and witty style, this book is a delight. Even those with only a passing interest in the game can enjoy it.

[Sanjay Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the author began following the game in early 1960’s, India was utterly marginal to cricket unlike today when its Board and Indian cricket is the sole superpower. The author chronicles this transformation tracing the entire arc of cricket in India across all levels of the game. It presents vivid portraits of local heroes, provincial icons and international stars. Especially insightful are the 9th and the 10th Chapters highlighting the opacity in the operations of the BCCI in India and various ‘conflicts of interest’ among administrators including politicians and former international stars. Will rate this book 4 out of 5.