Every Sunday morning at 6 AM, eighteen men gather at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Engineers, shopkeepers, students, a dentist, two dads. They call themselves the Shivaji Park Sunday Boys.
For years, their cricket was beautiful chaos. Two teams would form on the fly. Someone would keep rough score on a phone note. By the end, nobody could remember who won.
Then Arjun, a 28-year-old software engineer and the group’s self-appointed captain, found TheLineCricket.
”I Was Tired of Forgetting My Own Centuries”
“I scored what I think was a century one Sunday,” Arjun tells us. “But nobody was writing anything down. When I told my dad that evening, he laughed. ‘Show me proof.’ I couldn’t.”
That was the moment Arjun decided their cricket needed structure.
He downloaded TheLineCricket, created a match for the next Sunday, and invited the group via WhatsApp. Within 24 hours, 22 players had joined.
The First Match
“The first proper match was electric,” Arjun remembers. “We had:
- Actual teams with names — Sunday Warriors vs Maidan Masters
- A toss we actually recorded
- Real scorecards
- Ball-by-ball scoring
When I got out for 34 that day, I was upset. But then I saw my strike rate — 147 — and I realized my cameo was actually useful.”
Stats That Changed Everything
Over the next three months, TheLineCricket changed how the group played:
Ravi, the 45-year-old Dentist
Thought he was “past it.” After seeing his career stats update (28 matches, 542 runs, 14 wickets), he started taking net practice seriously. His average jumped from 19 to 31 in six weeks.
Kabir, the College Student
Discovered from his scorecard that he was a better bowler than batter. Started opening the bowling. Took his first 5-wicket haul two months later.
Sameer, the Shy Engineer
Rarely spoke but quietly became one of the group’s most reliable batters. His “Most 30+ scores” stat revealed what everyone had been missing.
Building a Community Page
Six months in, Arjun created a Community Page on TheLineCricket. He called it “Shivaji Park Sunday Boys.”
The page became their headquarters:
- Events tab → Every Sunday match, auto-listed
- Members tab → 38 members now, not just 22
- Posts tab → Match highlights, birthday greetings, “who’s playing Sunday?” polls
New players heard about the group through the page. People who hadn’t played in years came back.
The Tournament
Last month, the Sunday Boys entered an inter-society tournament. They were the only team with full match history, career stats, and verified players.
“The opposing captain joked, ‘You guys are too professional for a Sunday team,’” Arjun laughs. “We won the tournament.”
What Changed
For Arjun, it’s not about the app. It’s about what the app enabled:
- Accountability — people show up when they’re on a roster
- Memory — every match preserved forever
- Connection — cricket becomes a reason to stay in touch
- Growth — you only improve what you measure
The Ripple Effect
Three other Mumbai gully groups heard about the Sunday Boys and downloaded TheLineCricket. One of them — a women’s group in Bandra — has now played 14 matches.
“That’s the real glory,” Arjun says. “Not my score. That more people are playing real cricket because of what we started.”
Your Turn
Every gully cricket group has a story waiting. TheLineCricket is free — download it, create a match, invite your friends.
You never know where your Sunday morning cricket might take you.
Want to share your cricket story? Email us at stories@thelinecricket.com.
Tags
Found this helpful? Share it.