Cricket is India’s great obsession — and it has quietly generated over 50 patent applications for techniques, gear and virtual games. The earliest, a bat-handle improvement, dates to 1921. Here are five of the most inventive.
When a big India match is on, some 400 million people watch. That fervour has spilled into the patent register: a search turns up more than 50 Indian applications touching cricket. Many wouldn’t strike you as genuinely novel — similar products already crowd the market — but a few are genuinely clever.
Composed Cricket Match — 2822/MUM/2011 (Published)
Despite a title that hints at match-fixing, this is a digital video product: a fictitious cricket match assembled by splicing clips from previously played matches into a new, composed contest.
A cricket pitch — 1009/DEL/2003 (Granted)
An invention for a pitch on which bowlers cannot bowl bouncers. The specification describes a bouncer as a fast, short-pitched delivery rising sharply and dangerously, notes that umpires are often reluctant to invoke Law 42(6), and offers a pitch engineered to remove the hazard.
Apparatus for aiding the game of cricket — 502/MUM/2004 (Granted)
A portable practice apparatus designed to help a bowler improve line and length without causing distraction during delivery — usable on the pitch during training.
An improved cricket ball throwing machine — 1560/DEL/2003 (Granted)
A device for throwing a ball at a predetermined speed, spin and direction, promising accurate, consistent batting practice.
A game simulator for a real-life cricket experience — 2921/MUM/2011 (Published)
A simulator blending real and virtual play — real filmed bowlers deliver characteristic balls while the virtual side compiles scores, with pre-embedded scenarios and player/team data comparison.
The takeaway: novelty is the real test
The fun of the list aside, it is a reminder that a patent needs novelty and an inventive step — not merely a new gadget in a familiar field. Many cricket “inventions” echo products already on the market; the interesting ones solve a specific problem in a non-obvious way. For a working patent strategy, that distinction is everything.
Frequently asked questions
Can sports techniques and equipment be patented in India? Equipment and devices can be, if they are novel and involve an inventive step. Pure methods of playing a game are far harder — a patent needs a technical invention, not just a rule or technique.
How many cricket-related patents exist in India? A search turns up over 50 applications spanning techniques, accessories and virtual games, the earliest a bat-handle improvement from 1921.
Why wouldn’t a granted cricket patent be “novel”? Grant doesn’t guarantee real-world novelty against every prior product; several cricket applications resemble items already common in the market, which is exactly the kind of prior art that can undermine an inventive step.
What makes a sports invention patentable? A specific technical solution to a problem — like a pitch engineered to stop bouncers or a ball machine controlling speed and spin — that is new and non-obvious over what came before.
Useful official resources
- The Patents Act, 1970
- Indian Patent Office