The origins of Indian cricket, that is, cricket played by Indians are to found in Bombay and the first Indian community to start playing the game was the small community of Zoroastrians, the Parsis. Parsi clubs were funded and sponsored by Parsi businessmen like the Tatas and the Wadias.
By the 1890 s, Hindus and Muslims were busy gathering funds and support for a Hindu Gymkhana and an Islam Gymkhana.
In the late nineteenth century, many Indian institutions and movements were organised around the idea of religious community because the colonial state encouraged these divisions and was quick to recognize communal institutions.
