Balla Ghumao, Nasha Bhagao – Season 3

The third season of Gully cricket is on. The grounds of Chandigarh are dotted with beaming youngsters, blissfully oblivious of the heat, making a beeline for the cricket grounds. They are living the slogan, Bala Ghumao, Nasha Bhagao.

It is heartening to see how this movement has stealthily gained ground. Season-1 of Gully cricket in year 2023, saw 2448 children play in 204 teams (198 boys teams and 6 girls teams); India Book of Records, recognised them. Season-2 in year 2024, saw 3624 children play through 302 teams (256 boys and 46 girls); they got mentioned in Asia Book of Records.

Presently, 6912 children are playing, through 576 teams (512 boys and 64 girls) in Season-3 of Gully cricket. They are eyeing the Guinness Book of World Records this time. Till date, a whopping 12960 players, have played in the Gully cricket tournaments! Every Indian’s heart beats for cricket. The Cricket-mania in our country is of another level. And it’s not only a man’s game, anymore!

An idle mind is surely the devil’s workshop. Many youngsters are seen lazing like sofa lizards, munching pizza and fries. The unchanneled energy of youngsters may stray the wrong way. With easy availability of perverted and unhealthy content on Internet and Social Media; with drugs being sold by roadside vendors, youngsters fall gullible prey. Gully Cricket has invoked in them a passion for cricket. Physical fitness and sports lead to a sound body. And therein lies a sound mind.

Children from the gulleys are being invited to form their own team and enrol for playing cricket in the designated grounds, where the coaches of UTCA are monitoring the matches. Passionate and talented children are getting to play; their talent is being recognised. They are learning the value of team spirit and discipline. Chandigarh police is helping with the logistics of picking, dropping and over-seeing the children. Benevolent partners like Allengers, Tynor, ScotEdil … are funding the uniforms, shoes, cricket equipment, food, drinks, medical kits etc. The Governor of Punjab announced an ongoing grant of Twenty Lakhs every year, for Gully cricket!

The cricketers are administered the oath of abstaining from drugs, before every match. They’re shown videos of the risks of rash driving, drunken driving, driving without helmet etc. The slogan, Bala Ghumao, Nasha Bhagao is being deeply engrained in their psyche.

Besides the youngsters, seniors too are enjoying the game through Exhibition Matches. Punjab University Professors, Advocates, Municipal Councillors, Police officers, Artists, Media, Chartered Accountants, IAS officers, IRS officers, Judges etc. everyone is playing and with gusto!

 UTCA’s Kashvee Gautam played in the gulleys of Chandigarh and has done the city proud. She was auctioned at Rs. 2 crore, as the most expensive uncapped Indian player in the history of WPL. In April 2025, she was named in India's National Squad for the ODI Tri-Series against Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Cricket talent is mushrooming in Chandigarh! Gully cricket take a bow!

This piece has been published in the Daily World on 07.05.2025 https://epaper.dailyworld.in/Details.aspx?id=166597&boxid=77909&uid=&dat=2025-05-07