Immigrants' Game Gets a Makeover

India's most popular sport is making giant global strides backed by diaspora, an audience-friendly short format, and a gush of money. Can it now capture the attention of a wider global audience?

- KRISHNA GOPALAN

THE ROAR of fans at a stadium near New York during the India-Pakistan clash at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 might have seemed out of place in a country where baseball and basketball dominate. However, cricket's roots in the US run deeper than many realise.

Cricket arrived in the US as early as 1709, gaining popularity in elite academic institutions by the 19th century. However, after independence, as America distanced itself from British colonial influence, cricket was overshadowed by baseball, its homegrown alternative. Now, over three centuries later, it is making an unexpected comeback.

Baseball and basketball generate billions in revenue in the US, while cricket, predominantly played by immigrants (mainly from India), would have to build mass appeal among locals. Crickets growing financial potential has contributed to its inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. But how much can the Olympics boost cricket's presence in the US? Venu Pisike, Chairman of the Board of Directors at USA Cricket, the body that promotes cricket at all levels in the country, feels the T20 World Cup, held last year in the West Indies and US, was a breakthrough. “The big moment was the T20 India-Pakistan match (held in the US), and a lot of people got excited about it,” he says with a grin.

GLOBAL SPORT?