History of ESPNcricinfo in Timeline

ESPNcricinfo is a comprehensive online sports news website dedicated solely to cricket. It provides news, articles, and live coverage of cricket matches worldwide. A key feature is StatsGuru, a detailed database containing historical cricket data on players and matches dating back to the 18th century. As of March 2025, Sambit Bal served as the editor, overseeing the site's content and direction.

March 1993: CricInfo Launched

On 15 March 1993, CricInfo was launched by Simon King, a British researcher at the University of Minnesota. It grew with help from students and researchers at universities around the world.

1993: Cricinfo conceived

In 1993, Simon King conceived Cricinfo in a pre-World Wide Web form.

2000: Investment in Cricinfo

In 2000, Cricinfo received $37 million worth of Satyam Infoway Ltd. shares in exchange for a 25% stake in the company, valuing it around £100 million.

2000: Cricinfo sponsors Women's World Cup

In 2000, Cricinfo was named title sponsor of the Women's World Cup.

2000: Cricinfo's estimated worth

In 2000, Cricinfo's estimated worth was $150 million; however it faced difficulties the following year as a result of the dotcom crash.

2002: Cricinfo achieves operating profit

By late 2002, Cricinfo was making a monthly operating profit and avoided collapse, eventually being acquired by Paul Getty's Wisden Group and renamed Wisden Cricinfo.

2002: Acquisition by Wisden Group

In 2002, the Wisden Group, publishers of several notable cricket magazines and the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, acquired Cricinfo.

December 2005: Cricinfo Magazine Relaunch

In December 2005, Wisden re-launched its recently discontinued Wisden Asia Cricket magazine as Cricinfo Magazine, dedicated to Indian cricket coverage.

2006: Cricinfo Revenue

In 2006, Cricinfo's revenue was reported to be £3 million.

June 2007: ESPN Acquisition of Cricinfo

In June 2007, ESPN Inc. announced its acquisition of Cricinfo from the Wisden Group, aiming to expand Cricinfo by combining it with other web properties like ESPN.com.

July 2007: Cricinfo Magazine Last Issue

In July 2007, Cricinfo Magazine published its last issue.

2007: ESPN acquires Cricinfo

In 2007, ESPN, jointly owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications, acquired Cricinfo as part of an eventual break-up of the Wisden Group.

February 2010: Traffic surge after Sachin Tendulkar's record

On 24 February 2010, ESPNcricinfo experienced heavy traffic after Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar broke the record for the highest individual score in a men's One Day International match, resulting in site access issues.