Godfather of Cricket: Meaning, History, and Top Candidates

In cricket, “godfather” is an informal label, not an official title. Historically, W. G. Grace is widely called the Father of Cricket for shaping the sport’s early era. “God of Cricket” commonly refers to Sachin Tendulkar. “Godfather of IPL” is a fan-driven nickname often associated with MS Dhoni.

The difference between Father, Godfather, and God of Cricket

Language in sport blurs lines between respect, myth, and power. Cricket has accumulated honorifics over centuries, and many of them overlap. Clarifying the terms up front removes a lot of noise.

• Father of cricket: The foundational figure. A pioneer who shaped the sport’s structure, tactics, and popularity at a formative stage. In common usage, this points to W. G. Grace.
• God of cricket: A player revered to the point of devotion. The phrase echoes adoration rather than governance. This generally refers to Sachin Tendulkar.
• Godfather of cricket: A figure who guides, mentors, protects, or quietly influences directions of the game. Not always the biggest star; often the person who makes things happen and shapes environments. In contemporary discussions, this tag appears around MS Dhoni in the context of the IPL, and occasionally around administrators or broadcasters who changed the game’s economics.

Comparison at a glance

What “godfather” really means in cricket

The godfather of cricket doesn’t necessarily hold records. He molds culture. He nudges strategy without shouting. He makes tough calls and backs people others won’t. He is the one players call at midnight for advice, the voice that calms a dressing room, the person who can change an organization’s direction with a single quiet decision. In a sport still deeply tribal—national, domestic, franchise—the godfather often exists at the intersection of trust and power.

• Influence: The ability to shape playing style, selection thinking, or tournament direction.
• Mentorship: Proven record developing cricketers who later credit him for career-defining guidance.
• Institutional weight: Building structures—academies, scouting networks, franchise cultures—that outlast a career.
• Aura: A presence respected by peers, opponents, selectors, broadcasters, and fans alike.

The historical bedrock: W. G. Grace, the Father of Cricket

W. G. Grace sits at the root of this conversation because everything after him draws a line back to what he standardized. Before Grace, cricket had glory and eccentricity; under his shadow, it collected an operating manual.

He professionalized batting long before coaching manuals were widespread. His presence at the crease was not just about the runs he made; it was about the way he made spectators wait for his entrance and linger for his exit. He turned the act of batting into theater, imposing discipline on a sport still stumbling into adulthood.

• Technique and psychology: Grace’s batting style treated bowlers as puzzles to be solved and crowds as audiences to be managed. He combined footwork with game awareness, making batting a prolonged negotiation rather than a fling at fortune.
• Economics: He understood that bums on seats mattered. His appearances moved gates; his name on a poster was rain insurance on a summer’s day. Cricket grew up under the burden and blessing of that commercial anchor.
• Rules and norms: Grace’s authority filtered into expectations—about how to play, how to appeal, how to compete without losing the audience. He defined the protagonist’s role in a match.

Why the “godfather of cricket” label doesn’t fit WG Grace

Grace didn’t work from the shadows; he stood squarely in the center. “Father of cricket” recognizes his foundational influence. “Godfather” implies mentorship and institutional power beyond the boundary, an influence that blossoms after a player’s own spotlight dims. Grace’s power—immense as it was—lived in his bat, beard, and box office. The godfather mantle better suits those who shape the scaffolding and the pathways for others.

Don Bradman and the myth of invincibility: emperor, not godfather

Don Bradman is the mountain on which modern batting metrics are measured. He is the outlier by which outliers confess their limits. Mechanics, preparation, and ruthless repetition made an art form look like science. He built an algorithm for run-making long before anyone used that word.

• Technique: The backlift, the early pick-up, the surgical precision through gaps—Bradman shrank risk and expanded reward. Bowlers who tried full were driven; those who tried short were pulled; those who tried clever were out-thought.
• Mental game: The concentration, the small targets in practice, the obsession with improvement—these were not stories floated by fans; they were habits confirmed by teammates and adversaries.
• Cultural gravity: He transcended the boundary rope. In a time when nations measured pride by leather and willow, Bradman became a proxy for dominance.

Why “godfather” doesn’t sit comfortably on Bradman

Bradman’s place is singular. The emperor’s throne, perhaps even the myth’s center, but not the godfather’s chair. He inspired legions; he didn’t construct systems for them. His legacy is the summit of individual performance, not the scaffolding of others’ success.

Sachin Tendulkar: the God of Cricket, not the godfather

When people say “God of Cricket,” they mean Sachin Tendulkar—an artist that carried the weight of a billion hearts with elegance few athletes in any sport could shoulder. His innings had a peculiar silence to them, the silence of collective prayer before the release of a boundary. He was the antidote to doubt during long chases and the balm during collapses.

• Legacy of skill: Tendulkar mastered swing in England, pace in Australia, spin in the subcontinent, and pressure everywhere. He built a career that made fans measure time in innings rather than calendars. He adapted from gutty adolescence to cerebral senior pro, reinventing without losing soul.
• Cultural resonance: He was television’s festival, schoolchildren’s poster, and the default example in every street-corner debate about greatness. “God of Cricket” stuck because millions chose devotion, not because administrators issued a certificate.

Why the “godfather of cricket” label is not his

Tendulkar is the center of worship, not the architect of the temple. He influenced technique and inspired generations, no question. But the godfather tag implies engineering locker rooms and long-term institutional change through selection and mentorship authority. He shaped hearts; godfathers tend to shape structures.

India’s layered titles and the roots of influence

Indian cricket’s story runs on overlapping nicknames and titles. They’re not trivia; they’re cultural shorthand for changing eras.

• Father of Indian cricket: Sunil Gavaskar is often honored this way for standing up to pace with a tiny backlift and perfect judgment, creating a blueprint for Indian Test batting. He redefined fearlessness at the crease and gave the team a steel spine.
• Pioneer of Indian pace: Kapil Dev pushed a nation to believe that seam and swing could win anywhere. His outswinger became a rite of passage for aspiring bowlers, and his batting turned tail into sting.
• Godfather of aggressive Indian cricket: Sourav Ganguly remade attitude. He backed quicks, handled politics with a smile that sometimes looked like a snarl, and told Indian cricket it didn’t have to flinch.
• The Wall of cricket: Rahul Dravid’s name belongs here as the clarifier of another famous moniker. He is the technique tutor every modern Indian batter borrows from. His later work with juniors and India A teams shows you what a godfather’s portfolio often looks like: pathways, education, patience.

Godfather of IPL: why so many point to MS Dhoni

The shortest format turned into the most powerful laboratory for leadership, and no one has treated that lab with Dhoni’s serene command. If the term “godfather of IPL” lives anywhere, it lives most convincingly around MS Dhoni. Not because he talks about it; because he doesn’t need to.

How Dhoni built a godfather case in the IPL

• Selection clarity: Dhoni’s franchises have often looked at temperament before highlight reels. He has steered groups where senior pros and untamed talents coexist, with clear roles and zero panic.
• Auction discipline: Instead of chasing every fashionable name, he’s backed systems—spinners at home, hitting depth, death-bowling clarity—choosing utility over headline.
• Tactical patience: Dhoni’s hallmark is making the chaotic look routine. He turns a spinner into a powerplay weapon if the pitch whispers. He trusts a young quick even after a rough over if the matchups match. He doesn’t confuse noise with information.
• Man-management: Players talk about how he looks you in the eye, tells you your job, and never mentions your last mistake. You earn a spot by repeatedly delivering a small role, not by producing a viral cameo.

The tactical brain: calls that reveal a godfather

• The guts to hand a game-defining over to an unfashionable seamer when everyone expected a star name, because he read matchups rather than reputations.
• Backing a finger spinner on a dew-kissed night because the batter profiles warranted it.
• Promoting a hard-hitting allrounder into a pinch role at a make-or-break stage, not as a gamble, but as a risk calculated to the decimal.
• Delaying his own arrival to let a left-right combination bother the opposition’s matchups; or entering early when the chase required surgical control.

Franchise culture: what Dhoni set as non-negotiable

• Loyalty with accountability: Seniors aren’t babysat; they’re trusted until the data breaks the trust. Newcomers aren’t intimidated; they’re told the plan and measured by it.
• Calm as a strategy: Dhoni’s calm is not a personality quirk; it’s a tactical weapon. It makes opponents rush and his own bowlers breathe.
• Pathways: Domestic performers without big reputations often find a home, get a tight brief, and become dependable contributors.
• Rehabilitation: Out-of-form players are not discarded; they’re given tailored roles until confidence returns.

Is MS Dhoni the godfather of IPL?

Fan language can run ahead of officialdom, but the case is sturdy. Dhoni’s influence is wider than captaincy; it’s cultural. He has turned a franchise into a way of thinking: role clarity, spin as first-class citizens, and decision-making that looks simple only because every detail has been quietly handled. “Godfather of IPL” might be fan poetry, but its heartbeat is evidence.

Dhoni’s godfather credentials in a nutshell

Godfather of modern cricket: looking beyond players

The phrase can also point to those who changed cricket’s business, broadcasting, or format logic.

• Kerry Packer’s revolution: Often described as a godfather of modern cricket broadcasting, Packer disrupted how cricket was televised and consumed. Colored clothing, night matches under lights, and player remuneration took a quantum leap. The ripple effects shaped schedules, sponsorship, and fan habits that later made T20 leagues inevitable. His influence wasn’t about batting or bowling; it was about turning cricket into a prime-time habit.
• The IPL architect: The league’s creation demanded vision, hustle, and a weather eye for how Indian cities could adopt franchises as identities. This administrative thrust set the stage for captaincy greats to build dynasties. While “godfather” here is too loaded, “architect” is apt—without this stage, the godfather myths inside it don’t bloom.
• Technology and decision-making: Ball-tracking, slow-motion replays, and snickometer-style tools re-wired how fans understand the game. The push for fairer decisions made captains think in probabilities and fans consume cricket as data plus drama. If there were a “godfather of cricket technology,” it would be a consortium of engineers and broadcasters who merged sport and science.

Spin, swing, and specialty godfathers

“Godfather” is sometimes applied in narrower, craft-specific ways.

• Leg-spin renaissance: Shane Warne’s stardom rebranded leg-spin from craft to weapon. Youngsters learned to rip a leg-break and talk about drift and drop like batters talk about cover drives. Call him the godfather of the modern leg-spin boom and few would fight you.
• The swing school: Wasim Akram remains the north star for left-arm swing and reverse swing. Coaches still unpack his wrist position and seam angles to teach the genre. If “Sultan of Swing” is the poetry, “godfather of modern swing pedagogy” is the prose.
• Off-spin confidence: Muttiah Muralitharan made off-spin look like a bag of tricks and a thesis rolled into one. Batters didn’t just play the ball; they played uncertainty. His legacy transformed how captains value attacking off-spin even in white-ball cricket.

Country- and format-specific answers

Because search intent for godfather of cricket depends on geography and format, it helps to break the idea down.

Godfather of cricket in India

• Broad usage: In Indian fan culture, “godfather of cricket” often points to MS Dhoni when the conversation turns to the IPL, leadership, and dressing-room influence. His calm stewardship and mentoring aura make the label feel earned.
• Alternative contexts: For red-ball foundations and attitude shifts, Sourav Ganguly is frequently cast as a godfather figure for aggressive, pace-backed Indian cricket. At the pathway level, Rahul Dravid’s work with junior and India A sides has a godfather’s fingerprint: patient development over instant results.

Godfather of cricket in England

• Foundational influence: W. G. Grace is the clearest answer—but as Father of Cricket. If “godfather” must be used in England’s context, it can refer to guardians of the Laws and those who kept county cricket viable through eras of change. The custodial role of MCC and county stalwarts sometimes wears a godfather vibe without a single figurehead.

Godfather of cricket in Australia

• Performance royalty: Don Bradman towers, but again, emperor rather than godfather. For the modern era, Allan Border’s steel reset, or a captain like Steve Waugh who made mental disintegration an operating doctrine, carry godfather energy in cultural tenor. In the T20 revolution and franchise economy, coaches and backroom thinkers have had outsized influence.

Godfather of cricket in Pakistan

• Leadership alchemy: Imran Khan’s blend of charisma, fast-bowling ruthlessness, and insistence on fitness and belief forged Pakistan’s modern cricket persona. His influence on captains and quicks that followed is unmistakable. As a cultural lodestar, he’s the closest to a godfather figure in Pakistan cricket’s mythology.

Godfather of cricket in Sri Lanka

• Spin and strategy: Arjuna Ranatunga’s captaincy reshaped Sri Lanka’s self-belief, while Muttiah Muralitharan rewrote what off-spin could do. Ranatunga’s tactical bravery and Murali’s sorcery together forged an identity. In coaching and mentorship beyond playing days, senior Sri Lankan figures continued to guard the island’s spin-first ethos.

Godfather of cricket in the West Indies

• Attitude and artistry: Sir Vivian Richards is regularly hailed as king, emperor, or lord of batting swagger. As a cultural pillar who defined how West Indies played and how opponents felt, he is a lodestar. Clive Lloyd’s captaincy built a dynasty with system and ruthlessness—very godfather traits.

Godfather across formats

• Test cricket: Foundational guardians like Grace and long-tenured captains who valued discipline, patience, and craft. Later, captains who inserted pace hierarchies into selection thinking altered Test trajectories for entire nations.
• ODI cricket: The shift to fielding athleticism, batting depth, and flexible roles came from captains and coaches who treated ODIs as a chessboard, not a shorter Test. Selectors who backed allrounders and leg-spin in middle overs changed outcomes.
• T20 cricket: True godfathers here are captain-coach duos who pick by matchups, insist on boundary percentages, and redefine the value of spinners in powerplays. MS Dhoni represents the genre’s high priest from the playing end; analysts and head coaches share the mantle from the dugout.

Godmother of cricket: pioneers in women’s cricket

Cricket’s language shouldn’t forget its women. If any figure deserves a godmother label it’s the pioneer who turned women’s cricket from an afterthought into a movement. Administrators who secured fixtures, captains who insisted on parity, and batters who made audiences lean forward created a lineage that today’s stars carry with pride.

Who is the godfather of cricket in the world?

It depends on what you value. If the question is about foundational history, the world’s godfather is better called its father—W. G. Grace. If it’s about quiet, present-tense influence over teams, selections, and player development in the franchise era, MS Dhoni makes the strongest case. If it’s about the business model and broadcast revolution that made modern cricket possible, Kerry Packer is the most persuasive name. In truth, the title splits three ways across history, field influence, and commerce.

Godfather of cricket history: who shaped the arc

Cricket’s arc bends under the pressure of a few rare figures:

• The pioneer who made the bat a conductor’s baton and the crowd an orchestra: W. G. Grace.
• The outlier whose numbers drew a line between the possible and the unimaginable: Don Bradman.
• The artist whose career became a nation’s diary: Sachin Tendulkar.
• The leader who made aggressive, pace-rich cricket an Indian habit: Sourav Ganguly.
• The prolific mentor-captain whose methods define IPL common sense: MS Dhoni.
• The broadcaster who turned cricket into prime-time occupation: Kerry Packer.

Common confusions explained

Because the terms collide, here’s a quick sanity map:

• Father of cricket: W. G. Grace for the sport globally; in Indian context, Sunil Gavaskar is often given the fatherly mantle for Test batting culture.
• God of cricket: Sachin Tendulkar due to unmatched adoration and longevity across conditions.
• King of cricket: Often used for Sir Vivian Richards in the context of swagger and domination; sometimes for a current all-format giant depending on form cycles.
• Godfather of IPL: Most commonly MS Dhoni, for the way he shaped captaincy, squad building, and a franchise’s identity.
• Emperor, Sultan, Universe Boss: Titles mapping to a style or specialty—Bradman for emperor-like dominance, Wasim Akram as the Sultan of Swing, Chris Gayle as the Universe Boss in T20 batting.

A short field guide to nicknames and what they say

Why titles evolve with eras

Titles follow power. When Test cricket was the only frontier, father-like pioneers dominated the discourse. When broadcasting reshaped attention, the godfather moved behind the camera. When the IPL made tactics and squad ecology the heart of seasonal success, captains who think like systems engineers took charge of the mythology. The language evolves because cricket’s center of gravity does.

How media and fan culture amplify the godfather myth

• Clips over commentary: Decisions that result in wickets in the next over become forty-second videos, and the plotline becomes “genius” rather than “percentage play.” This halo can push the godfather tag onto whoever looks calm on the screen.
• Whisper networks: Journalists, agents, and domestic captains share stories of late-night phone calls and career advice. Some of those stories leak into podcasts, and the legend grows.
• Winning cycles: A title sticks when results confirm it across different squads and pitches. Fans love patterns; a godfather myth is a pattern that feels like fate.

Country-by-country snapshots of influence

England

• The fatherly foundation belongs to Grace. Later cultural godfathers include captains who reshaped team culture during transitions, and directors of cricket who rebuilt county pipelines with patience and unpopular decisions. The Test team’s current identity often reflects the private resolve of a small leadership group more than public sound bites.

Australia

• Bradman as emperor, Border and Waugh as custodians of hardness, Ricky Ponting as aggressive modernizer. In T20 franchise contexts, Australia’s coaches and analysts export a lot of modern white-ball thinking worldwide, creating a diaspora of influence that feels godfatherly without one name.

Pakistan

• Imran’s leadership blueprint still underwrites how Pakistan wants to play—fearless fast bowlers, expressive batting, and the belief that talent, given a clear voice at the top, can be unstoppable. Wasim and Waqar gave fast bowling an academy without walls; every young quick learns from their spells.

Sri Lanka

• A nation that played spin like an ancestral language produced Murali and a captain like Ranatunga who normalized tactical bravery. Mentors in Sri Lanka are often former players with quiet schools in backstreets and university grounds, turning raw wrists and supple fingers into international weapons.

West Indies

• The dynasty-era captains and batters were both heroes and tutors. Vivian Richards made intimidation elegant; Clive Lloyd turned a collection of islands into a unified machine. Caribbean godfathers are as likely to be club coaches on dirt pitches as they are to be Test legends.

South Africa

• A coaching culture that prizes process and conditioning has repeatedly produced elite fast bowlers and fielders. Captains who brought clarity through complex periods—cool heads, hard standards—held godfather sway in dressing rooms heavy with talent.

New Zealand

• A brand built on humility, data-smart selection, and versatile allrounders. A quiet godfather culture emerges from coaches and captains who over-deliver relative to population base by doubling down on clarity, fielding standards, and batting resilience.

Format-specific godfathers: Test, ODI, and T20

• Test cricket: Godfather influence shows in selection courage—backing a young quick for hard tours, trusting a leg-spinner despite expensive days, building batters who will dead-bat for sessions. Long-term patience is the currency.
• ODI cricket: The middle overs became a laboratory. Captains who made spin choke phases fashionable and who valued batting depth built repeatable tournament success. The godfather here thinks in ten-over chunks, not just endgame heroics.
• T20 cricket: The modern godfather quantifies chaos. They count boundary options per over, pre-plan matchups, and design roles for bowlers in three-ball batches. They turn franchise identity into an advantage so players arrive already half-adapted.

Who is the godfather of cricket? A layered answer

• Historically: The closest serious answer is W. G. Grace, but the precise label for him is Father of Cricket.
• In India’s modern imagination: MS Dhoni, especially as the godfather of IPL thinking, dressing-room calm, and role fidelity.
• In broadcasting and business: Kerry Packer, for changing how cricket lives on screens and balance sheets.
• Across pure performance: Don Bradman is emperor; Sachin Tendulkar is god; neither is quite the godfather in the sense of institutional mentorship.

Frequently asked questions (quick, direct answers)

Who is the godfather of cricket?

There isn’t a single official godfather of cricket. Historically, W. G. Grace is best called the Father of Cricket. In modern fan usage, MS Dhoni is widely referred to as the godfather of IPL for his leadership, culture-building, and tactical clarity. Broadcasting’s transformation often credits Kerry Packer.

Who is the godfather of cricket in India?

In India, the phrase commonly points to MS Dhoni, especially in the IPL context. He shaped franchise culture, selected by temperament, and repeatedly won within a clear tactical identity. For red-ball attitude shifts and backing fast bowlers, Sourav Ganguly is often described as a godfather-like influence.

Who is the godfather of modern cricket?

Define “modern” and you’ll find different answers. For broadcasting and player pay, Kerry Packer. For T20 franchise leadership and environment design, MS Dhoni. For leg-spin’s modern boom, Shane Warne’s influence is godfatherly. The title depends on whether you mean business, tactics, or craft.

Who is called the God of Cricket and why?

Sachin Tendulkar is called the God of Cricket for unmatched skill, consistency across conditions, and the emotional bond he forged with fans. His innings anchored hope during chases, and his longevity turned individual brilliance into a national ritual. “God” reflects reverence, not official status.

Who is called the Father of Cricket?

W. G. Grace is widely called the Father of Cricket. He professionalized batting, drew crowds like an institution unto himself, and set norms that made cricket a spectator business. His impact sits at the sport’s origin story, which is why “father” suits him better than “godfather.”

Who is the godfather of IPL?

Fans and many analysts refer to MS Dhoni as the godfather of IPL. He built a repeatable culture, picked players by role and temperament, used spinners proactively, and maintained calm under pressure. His franchises became templates for winning with clarity rather than churn.

What’s the difference between godfather and father of cricket?

“Father” denotes a foundational pioneer who helped create or formalize the sport. “Godfather” suggests a mentor-leader who shapes people and institutions, often from behind the scenes. Father is about origin; godfather is about guardianship and influence over systems and culture.

Who started cricket first?

Cricket’s roots go back to rural games in England, played by children and shepherds before evolving into organized adult fixtures. Village greens became county grounds, rules were codified, and the sport grew through clubs that turned pastime into competition. No single inventor exists.

Is Don Bradman the father or godfather of cricket?

Neither label fits perfectly. Bradman is the emperor of batting excellence—performance royalty. “Father” belongs to W. G. Grace for his foundational era. “Godfather” tends to describe mentors and institution-builders, a role Bradman didn’t primarily occupy relative to his playing legend.

Who is called the king of cricket today?

“King of cricket” is fluid and often linked to form across formats. Historically, Sir Vivian Richards wears the crown for swaggering domination. In the current era, the title shifts between all-format giants depending on performances, trophies, and influence during pivotal series.

Who is called the Wall of cricket?

Rahul Dravid. The nickname celebrates his technical discipline, patience, and mental strength. Later, as a coach and mentor, he added a godfather’s portfolio by building pathways for younger players—proof that nicknames can foreshadow future influence.

How to use the titles properly

Use titles to clarify roles rather than confuse them.

• Father of cricket: Use for historical pioneers, chiefly W. G. Grace.
• God of cricket: Use for transcendent devotion around on-field excellence, chiefly Sachin Tendulkar.
• Godfather of cricket: Use when influence exceeds personal stats—mentors, system architects, captains who build environments. For IPL, MS Dhoni is the strongest case; for broadcasting, Kerry Packer.

A short, practical rubric for calling someone a godfather

• Did they create a system or culture that outlasted them?
• Do players and peers credit them for career-shaping mentorship?
• Do their decisions influence selection, tactics, or tournament logic beyond standard captaincy?
• Can you point to specific institutional changes linked to their vision?

Three vignettes that show what godfathers do

• The phone call: A young batter on the verge of being dropped gets a midnight call from a senior statesman. No pep talk—just a clear, two-point plan for the next game and a reminder of the role. The next day, the kid looks like a different player. That’s godfather work.
• The auction table: Everyone wants the flashiest allrounder. The godfather’s team buys a quiet seamer and a domestic middle-order rock. Interviews sound bland; the results don’t. Depth over noise. That’s godfather thinking.
• The tough cut: A popular veteran sits out for a match-up specialist. The dressing room doesn’t sulk, because the logic was communicated and lived all season. That’s how trust survives disappointment.

Where the term “godfather” gets misused

• As a trophy for the biggest star: Greatness doesn’t equal godfather. Godfathers build others’ greatness.
• As a shortcut for “smart captain”: Many captains are clever; few reshape organizations.
• As nationalistic propaganda: The true test of godfather influence is respect across rival camps and franchises, not just within a fan base.

If forced to pick one name

If you require a single current-era answer for “godfather of cricket” that satisfies searchers asking who is called the godfather of cricket while honoring how the term is used by fans and media: MS Dhoni is the most accurate fit. His leadership blueprints in the IPL, his mentorship of young and senior players alike, and his habit of shaping games by shaping people match the godfather brief precisely.

Key takeaways

• Father vs Godfather vs God: Different jobs, different people. Grace is the father, Tendulkar the god, Dhoni the most compelling godfather in the IPL era.
• Country and format context matters: The godfather of cricket in India often means Dhoni; in Pakistan, leadership myths orbit Imran; in Test cricket’s foundations, Grace’s shadow is longest.
• Modern cricket has multiple godfathers: On the field (Dhoni), on television (Packer), in craft (Warne for leg-spin, Akram for swing).
• Titles follow influence: As formats, broadcasts, and economics evolve, so will the identities we crown.

Conclusion: a respectful verdict

Cricket doesn’t belong to a single throne. It’s a civilization with many city-states, each ruled by different virtues. The father of cricket, W. G. Grace, gave the game a spine. The god of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, gave the game a heart. The godfather, in the modern imagination, is the custodian who keeps the lights on, the roles clear, and the next generation ready. In that role, MS Dhoni stands tallest in the IPL age. If you mean who shaped the sport’s marketplace and television habit, Kerry Packer is your answer. And if you mean the essence of batting genius, Don Bradman remains beyond comparison.

Use the title that fits the job. Cricket—old, complex, tribal, generous—has space for all three.