Anurag Thakur © IANS
Anurag Thakur ©IANS

It gets impossible for fans to approach their favourite cricketers, except if they get lucky to meet them through promotional activities, five-star gatherings, and prestigious award functions. Considering the need for fans to be up-to-date with cricketers’ know-bouts, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looks to build bridge between cricketers and their fans in India through digital platforms. The Board came up with a Facebook page called ‘The Indian Cricket Team’ for this purpose. This page provides an opportunity for the fans to chat with their favourite cricketer, funny videos, interviews and coverage of important events. READ ALSO: Anurag Thakur: Dharamsala right place to host high-voltage India-Pakistan match in ICC

India is a cricket-crazy country, where the youth makes use of social mediums to get information about their cricketers. As per Board secretary Anurag Thakur’s conversation with Hindustan Times, “We have focused a lot on social media and want the team to connect with the fans. At the same time, we want to tap the young fans who are involved with the social platform 24×7. Our aim is to feel that it is their team and develop a sense of belonging.” As per reports, the page initially posted information only during festivals. Now the page is soaring with maximum likes.

Thakur added, “We brought players on the platform and began posting interviews where players were not only discussing cricket but also sharing off-field life. Once a week we decided to bring the player live on the profile and fans can chat by sending their questions. Earlier, Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane were a huge success. On an average, every interview had close to eight-nine lakh views.” READ ALSO: Lala Amarnath’s grandson Digvijay makes First-Class debut

The page last post was on Thursday, when on the same day in 1933 at Bombay Gymkhana, Lala Amarnath became India’s first Test centurion in a Test against England. Though it was a historical post, it received 14,000 likes and had the maximum shares as well. The Board has definitely stroke the right chord with its cricket fans across India.