One of the most impressive American directors, Jim Jarmusch, says that he doesn’t understand the meaning of cricket, but he likes it as a spectacle. Nothing is surprising in this because Jarmusch is an American, and cricket is a maximally British game. It must be said that most Americans have some general idea of the sport, but they cannot explain its nuances. They are at the mercy of stereotypes about the endless duration of the match, and that cricket is something on the Victorian.

Yet cricket is infiltrating mainstream subculture; it’s just doing so as stealthily (and to the same incredible effect) as British actors playing charismatic villains in American superhero movies.

The story of cricket’s cultural invasion should also be linked first and foremost to the film industry and, more specifically, to the movie Lagaan. It stars Indian movie star Amir Khan and a merry band of Indian peasants who must compete against oppressive British rulers in a game of cricket. If they win, the imposition of brutal taxes will be abolished. This three-hour movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2001. And it has to be said, it’s a great sports story.

In general, it is worth noting that there are many cricket movies in Indian cinema. After all, India, along with Great Britain, is a country with record cricket popularity. Here, people not only actively participate in this sport but also make bets through betting apps for cricket, which has already become part of the local pop culture. Street betting is also prevalent, where people simply bet with each other. Such scenes are often seen in some popular movies. 

Another movie is David Spade’s comedy “Rules of Engagement.” The plot is simple: Spade’s assistant on the show, Timmy, played by real cricket fan Adhir Kalyan, challenges Jeff to a cricket bet when the latter questions the value of the sport. Later in the episode, Kalyan and Warburton converge in a cricket duel, and Spade becomes the unfortunate victim of the ball.

Also, let’s not forget that one of the greatest quotes about cricket was uttered in the 1991 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. It transpired when Casey Jones, a hockey-masked vigilante, grabbed a cricket bat. Rafael intervenes. “Cricket? Nobody understands cricket. To understand cricket, you have to know what a crumpet is.”

Although an American, Anne Hathaway has mastered the skills of playing cricket—they needed them for her role as Jane Austen in the 2007 movie Becoming Jane. And she did it brilliantly, almost like an Englishwoman. 

Of course, we can not fail to mention that Hugo Weaving, the man who played Agent Smith in the trilogy “The Matrix,” also played an English Captain Doug Jardine. His role in a ten-part mini-series called Bodyline, which was about the Ashes tournament in Australia in the 1930s, isn’t as well known, but that doesn’t detract from its importance. 

Few people remember, but the movie Slumdog Millionaire started with the main character playing cricket with his friends. However, there is nothing surprising in this, as India was a British colony for a long time. The game of cricket has taken root in the country and retains its popularity.