With the end of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, fans of India’s National Team from all over the world are disappointed after the harsh loss in the finals against Australia.
During this cup, many records were set by players on the Indian team: Rohit Sharma holding the most centuries hit, Virat Kohli extending the most runs scored in a single World Cup, Mohammed Shami becoming the fourth highest wicket-taker in the history of the event and Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul setting a bar on the highest run scorers. This is a link to the rules of cricket.
Additionally, India was undefeated leading up to the finals, so India’s loss at the end was unanticipated.
Sophomore Vrayas Pila, who stayed up the whole night to watch this game, described his dismay towards the ending. “I was expecting a higher score and a victory from India, but I was disappointed by their performance in the final compared to the entire tournament,” Pila expressed.
But the news of India’s phenomenal performance and their devastating loss against Australia caused the sport of cricket to gain a lot of traction.
Millions of American Indians, such as Pila, were amazed at India’s run and the exciting news was passed to classmates at school and colleagues at work.
Junior Finn McMillan learned a lot about the world cup from his fellow Indian classmates. “Although I do not follow cricket at all, I was still able to keep up with what was happening in the cricket world, just by overhearing my friends talk about the Indian cricket team,” McMillan stated.
This is just the beginning of cricket’s growth in the U.S., but with the development of new grounds such as the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, this sport will pick up much more interest nationally.
Freshman Shuban Nanisetty, an avid fan of cricket, is optimistic about the sport’s future in this country. “I definitely think that there is growing popularity in cricket. I myself have some American friends who play in the local Quad Cities Premier league, ” Nanisetty said.
Similar to the Quad Cities, which is primarily run by Indians, Major League Cricket is growing at an exponential rate all over America. Indians not only bring their culture, religion and tradition to the U.S., but they also bring their hobbies and interests, such as cricket.
This is just the inception of cricket in the U.S., and the future holds much more promise for participation and popularity.
