Now, let's come to the country that we live in. It should not come as a surprise that the most loved game in India currently is Cricket.

Nothing brings India's spirit together like cricket does. Two strangers in front of a TV that is showing a cricket match will consider themselves to be the best of kins as they'd have a lot in common to talk about at that moment.

The country becomes one during such a match!

The sport's popularity gave rise to the Indian Premier League in which cricketers from different countries participate! In India, IPL's are a great way to start a conversation. When you start singing 'Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo re' an IPL enthusiast would start singing along; and you'll have a minimum of 3 things to talk about - KKR; The team that the both of you support; and of course, Shah Rukh Khan.

Here are a few terms associated with cricket!

• Bowled
• Bowling
• Front foot
• Catch/Run out
• Leg before wicket
• Outswing
• Gully
• Stumped
• Century
  
  

We all know a lot about cricket, but there are still a few facts and stories that would boost up your conversation level in terms of cricket!

WAS CRICKET ALWAYS POPULAR IN INDIA?

Did you know that before cricket, the most popular sport in India was Hockey? 

It was so important that it was India's unofficial National Sport. The hockey team faced many defeats, and because of India's 1983 Cricket World Cup Victory against West Indies, the sport was on the rise. All the tables turned under the captainship of Kapil Dev. It made the people see another side of the Indian Cricket Team making the masses believe that even India could win!

Players like Kapil Dev, Navjot Singh Siddhu, Sunil Gavaslar popularised the game and then the protege - Sachin Tendulkar boosted everything up to another level.

Do you personally know a person that questions Sachin's gameplay?

Then came the captain cool, making India win another World Cup, and boosting people's interests in the game.

Here are some phrases that can make your conversations interesting!

• There is such a contrast between the boiling captain Kohli, and the cool captain Dhoni!
• Nothing beats Yuvraj Singh hitting 6 straight sixers in one over!
• How can one forget Dada waving his shirt in the air at Lords!
• The partnership of VVS Lakshman and Rahul Dravid was yet another reason for India's victory!
• Adam Gilchrist and M.S. Dhoni are two amazing wicket keepers!
• The life and struggles of Inzamam-ul-Haq are accounted for in an essay called 'Inzy let's things flow over him'.
• Australia's two consecutive world cup wins under the captainship of Ricky Ponting were glorious!
  
  

Now, can you think of a sport that originated in India?

Here's a hint!

Ayye kabaddi kabaddi kabaddi…!!

Can you recognise the chant of this game?

Its name is Kabaddi.

It is sometimes also called the "game of masses" because of the tremendous public appeal it has and its simplicity.

The main objective of this sport is to gain maximum points by the end of the game by removing members from the other team.

The playing field is divided into two parts, separated by a line in the centre. During the game, one player from a team crosses this line and enters into its opponent’s side. This player is known as the raider. Raider must continuously chant kabaddi without breaking his breath and cross the buck line to validate his raid. If while the raid, the raider’s breath is broken, the raider is considered to be out and a point is given to the opponent team. To gain points for his own team, the raider must touch the member of the opponent team and return to it’s team side. In case, the opponent team catches the raider and restricts him/her from returning to their side, the raider is said to be out.

If during the match, the whole team is out, extra points are given to the opponent and all 7 members come inside the field for further raids.

The origin of the game traces back to Tamil Nadu, and it has now become its State game; along with that of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Punjab.

It has many other names as well:

• Chedugudu in Southern India
• Kaunbada in Northern India
• Ha du du in Eastern India
• Hu tu tu in Western India
  
  

The sport has a massive importance in India's neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal too; it has even got the status of Bangladesh's national sport. Today, the sport is played in many nations such as Maldives, Spain, Argentina, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and the USA, among others.

The popularity of the game gave rise to an Indian kabaddi  tournament which is known as Pro Kabaddi League.