T20 World Cup 2026 fuels rise of behind-the-scenes cricket content

With the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 and IPL 2026 to follow soon after cricket fever in India is at its highest point While cricket in India is celebrated as a religion it is also a memory a ritual and an emotion shared across generationsWhen Virat Kohli anchors a tense chase or when Rohit Sharma makes a highstakes game look effortless the moment resonates far beyond the boundary rope making the fans a lot happierHowever the ongoing social media trends and the upscaled engagement of fans and cricketers on social media are creating a new way to get to know all the sneak peeks of the teams and the playersFor decades the sport lived in stadiums and on television screens while the digital era dominated by social media such as Snapchat and Instagram has expanded on a much larger scaleNow a younger audience particularly Gen Z is pushing that evolution further Beyond match highlights and postgame interviews fans are seeking access to playersrsquo lives off the field following their travel days teambonding moments celebrations during tours and the quieter routines between fixturesWhile platforms like Snapchat Instagram and X continue to host polished posts and sponsorshipdriven content there is a growing appetite for material that feels less curated Shortform realtime updates are also gaining immense ground offering what appears to be a more spontaneous window into athletesrsquo daily livesIn this context Snapchat is one such social media platform that has emerged as a preferred platform for several Indian cricketersSnapchat becomes the preferred choice of cricketers sharing the teamrsquos inside storiesPlayers such as Arshdeep Singh Axar Patel Ravi Bishnoi Abhishek Sharma and Washington Sundar have increasingly used Snapchat to share snippets from dressing rooms team buses and practice sessionsUnlike traditional posts designed for permanence and broad reach Snapchatrsquos ephemeral format encourages quick inthemoment sharingFranchises in the Indian Premier League including Mumbai Indians Chennai Super Kings Gujarat Titans Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings have also experimented with behindthescenes storytelling tailored to younger audiences The aim appears to be expanding engagement beyond match days and tapping into a fan base that consumes content primarily through mobilefirst platformsSaket Jha Saurabh Director and Head of AR and Content Partnerships at Snap Inc sharing his views on the rising popularity of Snapchat among Indian cricketers said ldquoToday fans donrsquot just want to watch the game They want to feel closer to their favourite cricketers Snapchat is uniquely positioned for that because it is built around real connections and authentic selfexpression We are seeing players share everything from dressing room banter to life on tour in a way that feels natural and unfilteredrdquoldquoOur focus is on enabling creators with tools like AR and creative formats that help them tell their stories in ways that feel immersive expressive and rooted in culturerdquo Jha addedAs cricket continues to dominate Indiarsquos sporting landscape the conversation around the game is no longer confined to commentary boxes and press conferences Increasingly it is unfolding in fleeting 30second clips shared from team hotels and airport lounges reshaping how the sport is experienced in the process