The love of rain and the Kanga League: The lifeline of Mumbai Cricket

A distinctive aura welcomes you the moment you enter the City of Dreams. A sense of prevalence beckons this city as people with hope in their eyes greet you with a broad smile en route to their destination.

Well, it is not just a city, it's an emotion for Mumbaikars as they struggle to carve a name for themselves in this beautiful place. While the town is famous for Bollywood bigwigs and the multi national companies, it also holds a very special place in the history of Indian cricket.

And one of the primary reasons for producing a vast number of players who have dominated the world arena is the Dr H.D Kanga Cricket league, the most prestigious tournament in the history of Mumbai cricket.

The monsoon flavour

There is something about the rains and this city that will make you fall in love with the place. The monsoons; it is that time of the year when the cricket kit is packed and stored in the loft and out come the football studs for most of the players across the country.

However, that is not the case for the khadoos army of Mumbai as they patiently wait for the first shower as it means the commencement of their favourite tournament, the Kanga League.

Playing in the rains on the wet outfield, damp wicket and knee length grass, this competition challenges the skills and temperament of the players. Most of the players who graduated to the state level or the international arena first honed their skills meticulously in the maidans of Mumbai cricket.

And, if you ever happen to stroll down the street of the famous Azad Maidan, and silently observe the happenings around you, you will understand that 22 matches are simultaneously taking place without any chaos.

The weekends are like none other, with fun and frolic as the relentless showers occasionally force the players to go off the field. The tent is full of excitement as the senior players of the side share their experiences while savouring the famous tapri chai.

In a tournament of this stature, with unpredictable wickets and slow outfields, a batsman scoring a half century is equivalent to an international hundred as the art of batsmanship is extremely tough. With the ball jumping around and some keeping very low, a score of 80 would be a match winning target.

The origin of the tournament

The idea behind such a league was to help the Mumbai players handle the seaming conditions on offer in foreign lands. And hence, the iconic tournament first began in the year 1948. Since then, it has been an integral part of the local competition organised by Mumbai cricket.

In the earlier days, when the international calendar was not as hectic as it is now, Test cricketers used to feature for their respective clubs. It also gave the youth an opportunity to play against high-quality players and improve by leaps and bounds.

The reason for Mumbai cricket's dominance

The most successful team in the domestic circuit

While the standard of cricket was continuously improving in local circles courtesy the numerous leagues and tournaments organised by the association, the benefits of featuring in the Kanga League were easy to see.

In the recent past, even while playing domestic cricket, the wickets were not covered overnight which meant that dew in the morning would play a crucial role and the wicket would still be slightly damp.

With the experience of playing in the Kanga League, Mumbai players were not deterred by such things, even if they lost the toss and happened to bat first on a difficult wicket. The bowlers too benefitted from this event as they were well aware of the line and length to bowl on such wickets.

This prestigious tournament constantly put the players under a lot of pressure to perform on such tricky wickets which helped them toughen up mentally.

While the era of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar has come to an end, their legacies continue to inspire millions of kids all over the city.

And, the city never ceases to amaze as it is only a matter of time before a star emerges from the shadows of the maidans and the gymkhanas to take centre stage.

Somewhere amidst the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, there is a young Shreyas Iyer who is knocking on the door of international cricket with his flamboyant style of play. The success of all these players should be credited to the rich culture of the local tournaments and the Kanga League.

It is high time we give one of the oldest competitions in the history of Mumbai cricket its due recognition as it helped produce world-class players who have taken Indian cricket by storm.