Final answer:
Hindus and Muslims started playing cricket in separate gymkhanas due to societal divisions, which reflected and contributed to the wider tensions that led to India's partition. The enduring rivalry in cricket between India and Pakistan is emblematic of their historical and ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The early start of Hindus and Muslims with cricket in relation to Gymkhanas originated in segregated environments due to the religious and social divisions of the time. Hindus and Muslims began playing cricket in separate gymkhanas, which were athletic clubs in British India, fostering community identity but also deepening the existing religious divide. This separation in sports mirrored the larger societal split that eventually led to the partition of India.
While the partition was influenced by a multitude of factors, including the political strategies of the British and the animosity between religious communities, the division of cricket along religious lines exemplified the growing tensions, especially as the Muslim League pushed for a separate Muslim state, leading to the creation of Pakistan.
During the struggle for independence, leaders like Gandhi advocated for a unified India, but the deep-rooted religious conflicts, fanned by the British divide-and-conquer strategy, contributed to the emergence of separate national identities, which were reflected in several areas of social life, including sports. The partition saw significant violence and mass migrations, as Hindu and Muslim populations sought to relocate to their respective nations. Over time, the cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan became a microcosm of the broader geopolitical tensions between the two nations, even though the game had origins as a unifying British cultural import.