It was April 2, 2011 and India narrowly defeated Sri Lanka for the World Cup title, India’s first win since 1983. Aayush Singh, cricket fan and junior, pointed to this moment as when he first fell in love with the sport. 

“I remember I woke up at like 3 a.m., so I was 5 or 6 at the time. I sat down on the sofa next to my family, and we just watched that whole game,” Singh said. “That was a really impressive game.”

Singh is not alone with his love for cricket. Cricket is the second-most televised sport in the world, only behind soccer, and in the United States, cricket has been gaining popularity. Major league cricket, the U.S.’ sole cricket league, had over 70,000 spectators during their first season this year, bringing in over $2.3 million in revenue. In addition, the 2023 cricket world cup, which is taking place between Oct. 5 and Nov. 19 has had over 286 million live viewers.

While cricket has grown in popularity within the United States, Singh said a large reason for that is due to South Asian immigrants, who are using cricket to connect with their roots.

“Cricket is getting more popular with the large amounts of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan immigrants who are coming over (to America), as well as more coverage because of those immigrants,” Singh said. 

Feroz Syed, Carmel parent and founder of CricIndy, a nonprofit which uses cricket to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, also said cricket is important to South Asian

culture.

“In India, (cricket) is part of the lifestyle. After coming to the U.S., it has served as a bonding platform for people who love the sport,” Syed said via email. 

While also helping him connect to his roots, Singh said cricket has helped him connect with his family, with him first being taught how to play cricket by his grandfather.

“(I learned how to play cricket) around the same time as that 2011 World Cup final when I was 5 or 6,” Singh said. “My grandpa taught me how to play. He bowled for me in the driveway and that’s when I learned how to hit.”

Karthik Varigonda, cricket fan and senior, said his family bonds by watching and playing cricket. 

“(Watching) gives us stuff to talk about. Sometimes we get pizza and throw a small party,” Varigonda said. “Playing also helps us bond because we can spend more time with each other while having fun and it acts as a break from school or work.”

Varigonda also said he enjoys playing and watching cricket with his friends who share his interest in the sport. 

“Some of my favorite memories with cricket are watching Indian premier league games with my friends in school, and playing with my friends almost every day after school,” Varigonda said. “Recently I watched a Cricket World Cup game in-person and it was amazing with a lively atmosphere.”

While cricket serves to connect people of South Asian descent, Syed said he uses cricket to create connections between people of all different backgrounds and cultures, which is why he started CricIndy.

“One reason (I started CricIndy) is because I am a passionate fan of Cricket. Another reason is that unknown sports always bring curiosity and it serves as a talking point for people when we are gathered together,” Syed said.

While Syed said he believes the sport of cricket is unknown to many Americans, Singh said the customs and traditions around cricket are universal and are very similar to American sports customs.

“(The culture around cricket) is very similar to other sports in America, (cricket and American sports both have) high popularity, everyone sits down and watches it,” Singh said. “It’s pretty similar.”

Varigonda also said that much like Super Bowl parties, fans of cricket throw large parties before big matches.

“In the U.S. for big games like India versus Pakistan, people typically throw big parties or spend the whole day watching the match,” Varigonda said. 

Overall, Singh said the part of cricket he cherishes the most is being able to connect to his family, friends and culture while also just simply having fun.

“It’s just creating memories through a sport,” Singh said. “Like (friends and family) all sitting around watching cricket.”