Cricket, Cracked Glass and a Friend’s Bold Leap into Art

Two months ago, my friend and former colleague Ritwik Sen did something unexpected. A creative and communications expert, an adman, sports commentator, Rits stepped into the world of art with a concept that was as bold as it was beautiful.

He called it Breaking the Glass Ceiling, a series of 21 artworks that combine cricket and art in a completely fresh way. Each piece features real cracks on glass:  deliberate, dramatic, and deeply symbolic. The idea was to show what it means to break through barriers, whether on the field or in life.

Ritwik discussed this with me and a few of his dear friends before sharing the idea with Shyam Bhatia, the passionate cricket collector who built the Shyam Bhatia Cricket Museum in Dubai. Shyam immediately saw its potential and agreed to showcase the series. That support gave the work an early platform, and from there it started getting noticed across the world. Cricket lovers, art collectors, and curators began to take an interest.

The moment that really mattered to Ritwik was when he presented the full series to Sunil Gavaskar. For him, this was no ordinary meeting. Gavaskar was a childhood hero, someone he had admired and followed for years. Not only did Sunny love the work, he actually participated by cracking the glass on the piece featuring himself. That single act captured the spirit of the entire project.

Ritwik later told me this was the one thing he’d look back on with real pride. And I believe him. This wasn’t just a creative project. It was a personal journey, filled with risk, meaning, and a whole lot of heart.

Series 1 is a tribute to 21 of the finest to have played the sport and it is Rits' first foray into celebrating the grit, determination and contribution of these legends of the sport and how these legends have gone on to inspire millions around them. 

So what's next as part of this series? Not only would Rits love to present this at other cricket clubs around the world, he would love to take this deeper. He's started his journey on penning a book where he delves into the concept itself of breaking the proverbial glass ceiling, but also dabbling into the aspects of sports psychology aspects that stem from it. 

He also wants to do a series on some of the legendary Women Cricketers. "They need to be spoken about and showcased, and there's just not enough in the media about them," he said. 

And knowing Rits, it’s just the beginning.