You know it means more than a little something when 1.5 billion people tune in.
And so the world watched as India took on Pakistan at Manchester's Emirates Old Trafford ground in the Cricket World Cup.
Thousands were fortunate enough to make it inside the stadium - and those that did provided a colourful backdrop to what turned out to be a one-sided match.
For those watching elsewhere, there was no let up in passion, support and expectation.
Whether in England or the subcontinent, fans painted their faces, dressed up in costume and gathered together to share the thrill of international sport at its most dramatic.
For Pakistan, it was a seventh defeat in seven World Cup matches against rivals India, as Rohit Sharma scored a century in his side's 89-run victory.
The rain arrived, the umbrellas went up, but the noise and party atmosphere was undimmed as the players returned to finish off a revised match.
Take a look above at our pick of the best images of supporters involved in the big day.
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Cricket World Cup kits ranked
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The Cricket World Cup 2019 captains show off their lovely kits for the tournament. Find out how they're ranked by tapping right. Courtesy ICC -
10th: Afghanistan. The fact they are advertising an away kit is a serious offence in cricket and instantly puts them at the bottom off the kit table. The home shirt isn't bad, otherwise. Courtesy ACB via Twitter -
9th: South Africa. This is not cool, South Africa. Three cricket countries share green as their sporting colour and the Proteas have trampled on Pakistan's ground with this neon green top. Courtesy CSA via Twitter -
8th: Bangladesh. A bit too plain an offering from Bangladesh. It's a dull grass green that will get lost in the outfield. There's rumours of an 'alternative' kit which would relegate them to the bottom of this list. Courtesy BCB via tigercricket.com.bd -
7th: West Indies. The men in maroon are going into the World Cup as underdogs but will cause a few shocks during the tournament. Calypso cricket is back in business but the vibrancy will be in the performances rather than their outfits. Getty Images -
6th: Australia. I've never taken to Australian sports teams in canary yellow and green. It feels like the country has strayed off the reservation. The 2007 World Cup win in green and gold was their zenith. This shirt is a bit Norwich City. Courtesy Cricket World Cup -
5th: New Zealand. On first glance, it looks a little plain, but I actually dig the Black Caps aligning themselves closer to their rugby bretheren for this edition. Courtesy ICC -
4th India. A nice understated electric blue strip for Virat Kohli and his team. India swings wildly in kit choices at world cups from 90s abominations to the 2011 vintage. This is a safe, refined choice. BCCI via Twitter -
3rd: Pakistan. There's been some pretenders to Pakistan's throne as the team with the premier green strip. Sarfraz Ahmed's charges will be looking sharp in their slight-throwback retro kit. It's a tidy outfit that will make Imran Khan and his cornered tigers proud. Courtesy PCB via Twitter -
2nd: England. The most dominant one-day side over the past four years dropped a statement of intent - a retro sky-blue shirt to channel their inner-1992 run to the final. It's gorgeous. Courtesy Cricket England via Twitter -
1st: Sri Lanka. There can be only one winner and Sri Lanka's kit wins on two levels. Firstly the print of a sea turtle leaving deep waters for a sandy shore is an incredibly original use of the team's traditional yellow and blue colour scheme. Secondly, the kit is made from recycled ocean plastic, so it's probably the most environmentally friendly kit ever made. Courtesy SLC via Twitter
