Cricket moves to the west
The game between bowler wit and batting instinct, cricket has become a true religion in the Indian subcontinent.
Cricket, which dates back centuries, has its largest field and commercial market in India and as the game continues to evolve, the sport is bound to take off in the years to come in the Asian region. Industry veterans have also recognized that America has the potential to become one of the largest global commercial markets for cricket.
The US cricket fanbase is estimated at 24 million and counting. The male following of the sport is 16 million while the female following is eight million.
The recently completed West Indies tour of India saw two T20I matches held in Florida. This initiative wasn’t just a one off thing, when the Men in Blue tour the Caribbean there are always a couple of games planned in the US. The Florida games have always seen a full house over the years.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s international governing body, also announced that the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be played in the West Indies and the United States. Such efforts reflect the highest authority on the cricket body, keen to expand the sport in the United States. The ICC is also committed to bringing cricket to the LA Olympics, which will reflect the sport’s popularity and showcase the game in a multi-sport event.
Major League Cricket (MLC) is also in talks to launch in a year. Earlier this year, the league also managed to raise funds, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella among the main investors. In addition to Nadella, the league was joined by Neeraj Arora, a former Google employee, Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar, Times Group’s Vineet Jain, and many others.
Right now, minor league cricket is currently the top cricket competition in the US until MLC begins.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the culture of remote work has been strongly promoted. Physical presence at headquarters or in the country of operations has not remained relevant due to this new work culture and could even affect the functioning of the sport in the US.
Indians have already gained a foothold in the US to promote the sport at the highest level as almost all investors in the MLC are Indian.
Parag Marathe, longtime chairman of the San Francisco 49ers and vice chairman of Leeds United FC, was elected chairman of USA Cricket in October 2018. Marathe’s term as chairman ended in early May this year.
Indian Premier League (IPL) team owners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Knight Riders Group have partnered with MLC to build a stadium in Los Angeles.
The growth of cricket is inevitable if such developments are made in terms of improving the sport in the region.