How a colonial pastime, once divided by community lines, transformed into a stage for resistance, social change, and the birth of a national identity
Cricket in India began as a pastime of the British ruling class. It was played in cantonments, clubs, and on manicured lawns far removed from ordinary Indian life. Yet, as the 19th century progressed, communities in Bombay began adopting the game. For the colonizers, cricket was a sign of discipline and order. For Indians, it became a stage where pride and identity could be tested against the empire itself.
The first Indians to take cricket seriously were the Parsees, who formed their own clubs and even sent teams to England in the 1880s. Soon, the Hindus established their Gymkhana in 1906, eager to compete on equal terms with the Parsees. A few years later, the Muslims followed, creating their own space in the city’s cricketing scene. What began as matches between Europeans and Parsees evolved into a triangular contest, and then, in 1912, the famous Bombay Quadrangular—Europeans, Parsees, Hindus, and Muslims vying for supremacy.
By the early 20th century, the Quadrangular was more than just a tournament. It was a public spectacle where victories carried political weight. When the Hindus defeated the Europeans in 1906, it was celebrated as proof that Indians could outshine their rulers in their own sport. Nationalist newspapers praised the team as symbols of resistance. Crowds flocked to the matches, not only to see cricket but to witness a rehearsal of India’s struggle for self-respect.
Mahatma Gandhi, however, was uneasy with the tournament’s communal structure. He argued that it deepened divisions by turning faith into a form of competition. In the 1940s, he urged Indians to abandon such contests, saying sport should unite rather than divide.
The Quadrangular also gave India some of its earliest cricketing heroes. Among them was Vithal Palwankar, a batsman from a so-called “lower caste,” who became the captain of the Hindus in 1923. His rise challenged caste hierarchies and inspired discussions about equality far beyond cricket. Players like C.K. Nayudu also emerged during this period, thrilling crowds with their batting and proving that cricketing excellence was not the preserve of Europeans alone.
For many Indians, these men symbolized both sporting brilliance and the possibility of social change. Every six struck and every wicket taken seemed to carry a deeper meaning—an assertion of dignity in a colonial world.
The Quadrangular was the highlight of Bombay’s sporting calendar. Stadiums were packed with thousands of spectators, with loyalties divided along religious lines. Matches often sparked heated debates in newspapers and occasionally led to unrest in the streets. During the Prince of Wales’s visit in 1921, riots erupted in the city while the Quadrangular was in progress, highlighting the close connection between the tournament and the prevailing political atmosphere of the time.
The tournament even expanded briefly to include a fifth team—“The Rest,” which combined Christians, Jews, and others—turning it into the Pentangular. But the format never truly escaped its communal character.
By the mid-1940s, nationalism in India was on the rise, and the communal structure of the Quadrangular came under sharp criticism. Many believed it no longer served the spirit of a country striving for independence and unity. In 1946, the tournament was abolished. It was replaced by the Ranji Trophy, a competition based on regions rather than religion. The Ranji Trophy became the symbol of a new India—diverse, yet united on the cricket field.
The Bombay Quadrangular left behind a complex legacy. It showed how sport could both divide and inspire. On the one hand, it reinforced communal boundaries; on the other, it provided Indians with a platform to challenge colonial authority and question social hierarchies. The passion, the heroes, and the symbolism of those matches helped turn cricket into India’s most powerful cultural force.
Today, cricket is often regarded as one of India’s most unifying national identities. But its roots remind us that it once carried the weight of divisions and dreams. The Quadrangular was not just about bat and ball—it was about belonging, defiance, and the slow shaping of a nation.
