The craze for cricket in the USA is spreading like wildfire, and India great Virat Kohli feels, with the United States co-hosting the ninth edition alongside West Indies, the game is moving in the right direction. America is hosting the first major cricket tournament starting June 2, with three venues – New York, Texas and Florida, to host 16 games combined, including the marquee match between India and Pakistan on June 9.
The USA playing host to a 20-team ICC tournament is a testament to how far cricket has come, with the West accepting it with open arms. A more pre-dominant South Asian sport, with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan among the powerhouses, cricket is now recognised worldwide, with the Olympic Committee including it in their LA28 programme.
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Speaking on cricket’s rise, Virat admitted he never thought the USA would host a multi-team cricket tournament. However, with this becoming a reality, Virat said it shows the impact of this sport in the world. In a video posted by the US Consulate Mumbai on the microblogging website X (previously known as Twitter), Virat said,
“Honestly, I never thought we would be playing cricket in any form in the States (USA), but now it’s a reality. That tells you about the growing impact of the sport in the world, and the United States is more than willing to accept the change and be probably the first ones on a global scale to accept it, in a way, with the World Cup,” Kohli said in a pre-recorded video.
“It’s a great start. It’s the ideal way to begin, and it’s going to have a huge impact. In starting off, a kind of a domino effect, and I hope it carries on for a long period of time,” the former India captain continued.
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The rise of cricket in the West
With America and Canada participating in their maiden T20 World Cups, Virat said the growing population of South Asians in the West has helped cricket make some space in the lesser-explored territory.
“We have enough people from our regions to keep the game up and alive in the States and make the others more aware about what it feels like to play and watch cricket. It’s got great potential, with the MLC (Major League Cricket) as well. There is already franchise cricket happening there. It’s moving in the right direction,” Kohli said.
Meanwhile, Kohli will hog all the limelight in this tournament, with India playing Pakistan, USA, Canada and Ireland in the group stages. India will play Bangladesh in their only warm-up game on June 1, and open their campaign against Ireland on June 5.
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