Criconomics: Everything You Wanted to Know about Odi Cricket and More by Surjit S. Bhalla

Book Summary 

Co‑authored by Surjit S. Bhalla and Ankur Choudhary, Criconomics brings rigorous data science to the world of One Day International cricket. Its central innovation is the CricketX model, which applies econometric tools—including the Kalman filter—to create dynamic ratings for batting, bowling, and teams. These ratings take into account venue-specific pitch difficulty (via a pitch index), recent form, and overall performance since each team's ODI debut.

The book tackles questions like: Who truly are the best vs. the greatest batsman, bowler, all‑rounder, captain, or team in ODI history? It differentiates "best" (highest aggregate performance) from "greatest" (consistent dominance over time) . It also explores how accurately CricketX can predict match outcomes; over top‑10 team matchups, it achieves approximately 65% accuracy—not bad, considering the built‑in unpredictability of the ODI format .

Although rich in stats and quantitative insights, the book has been critiqued for being overly technical with too little explanation for non‑statisticians. Reviews suggest it may feel more like a specialist’s reference than a popular introduction . Nevertheless, it includes fascinating tidbits like Bradman's handwritten letter, quick methods to estimate chase success without a calculator, and sociological observations about ODI culture.

About the Author: 

Surjit S. Bhalla is a prominent Indian economist, author, and columnist with a PhD in Economics and a Master’s degree in Public & International Affairs from Princeton, and an undergraduate degree from Purdue University Throughout his career, he has held roles at institutions such as the Rand Corporation, Brookings Institution, World Bank, Deutsche Bank, and Goldman Sachs, and served as Executive Director for India at the International Monetary Fund. He has also advised government bodies, including India’s Economic Advisory Council and the Fifteenth Finance Commission .

Bhalla’s fascination with cricket runs deep—his debut book, Between the Wickets, first introduced a model to evaluate cricket performance. Criconomics, co-written with computer‑scientist Ankur Choudhary (formerly with a hedge fund background and IIT Kanpur graduate), represents an ambitious synthesis of econometrics and sport