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    The Indian Eye
                                            STUMP VISION                                                                                    46
                                                                                                                         JULY 10, 2026

            America’s 250th Anniversary:

                          Red, White and Cricket

              As the nation marks 250 years of independence, cricket is writing its own new chapter,

                             one built on investment, opportunity, youth development and belief

                     ARCHAN MEHTA

                   n its 250th anniversary,
                   America  is  celebrating  its
            Opast while quietly embracing
            a new future: one where the stars,
            stripes  and  straight  drives  share  the
            same  stage.  Cricket,  once  consid-
            ered a niche sport played largely by
            immigrant  communities,  is  steadily
            becoming part of America’s sporting
            identity.  Packed  stadiums,  growing
            television audiences, professional                  The biggest turning point came with the launch of Major League Cricket in the US (File photo)
            franchises and expanding youth par-
            ticipation  are  changing  perceptions.   The biggest turning point came   Unicorns  have  emerged  as  a  blue-  stadiums, but when American-born
            What was once a weekend pastime   with  the  launch  of  Major  League   print for American cricket, combin-  youngsters grow up dreaming of rep-
            in community parks is evolving into a   Cricket. Rather than creating anoth-  ing on-field success with strong com-  resenting  the  United  States  on  the
            serious sporting and business oppor-  er domestic competition, MLC intro-  munity  engagement  through  youth   world stage.
            tunity. Cricket has arrived in America   duced a professional ecosystem built   programmes,  school  outreach,  free   Those dreams have already
            before, but this time it has the struc-  around world-class players, experi-  family days and fan events. Their   started  becoming  reality.  The  Unit-
            ture, investment and ambition to stay.  enced administrators and long-term   matches at the iconic Oakland Col-  ed States stunned the cricket world
                Ironically, cricket’s American   investment. Global stars such as Faf   iseum have shown that cricket can   during  the  2024  ICC  Men’s  T20
            story  began  long  before  baseball   du Plessis, Rashid Khan, Steve Smith,   attract passionate American crowds.   World Cup by defeating Pakistan in
            captured  the  nation’s  imagination.   Pat Cummins and Nicholas Pooran   Across  the  country,  Major  League   one of the tournament’s biggest up-
            The first-ever international sporting   gave  the  league  instant  credibility,   Cricket has also built a solid founda-  sets  and  reaching  the  Super  Eight
            event in world history was a cricket   while modern venues and high-qual-  tion with venues such as Grand Prai-  stage.  The  performance  demon-
            match between the United States and   ity broadcasts attracted audiences   rie Stadium in Texas and Broward   strated that Associate nations could
            Canada, played in New York in 1844.   beyond traditional cricket followers.   County Stadium in Florida, while   compete with the game’s established
            At the time, thousands of spectators   Just as importantly, franchise own-  more  dedicated  cricket  stadiums   powers. Two years later, at the 2026
            watched what would become the     ers  viewed  cricket  as  a  long-term   are  planned  as  the  league  expands.   T20 World Cup, the United States
            world’s  first  international  sporting   investment rather than a short-term   For SF unicorns, International stars   continued to show progress by com-
            contest. Yet as baseball exploded in   experiment. That confidence reflects   like  Finn Allen  and  Ravichandran   peting  more  confidently  against
            popularity during the late nineteenth   the global business opportunity. The   Ashwin  have  inspired  young  fans,   stronger  opposition,  reinforcing  the
            century, cricket slowly faded into   worldwide cricket league market was   but  perhaps  no  voice  carries  great-  belief that the 2024 success was not
            the background. It survived through   valued at nearly $4.8 billion in 2025   er  weight  than  Sir  Viv  Richards.  A   a one-off moment. Every ICC tour-
            passionate communities from India,   and is projected to almost double by   strong  supporter  of  cricket’s  Amer-  nament now provides valuable ex-
            Pakistan,  the  Caribbean,  England,   2033, making cricket one of the fast-  ican journey, Richards believes the   perience for a young American side
            Australia and South Africa, who kept   est-growing sports businesses in the   United States has the infrastructure,   that  continues  to  improve  through
            the  sport  alive  through  local  clubs   world. America is positioning itself to   commercial strength and diverse fan   exposure  to  higher-quality  cricket.
            and  weekend  leagues.  Those  grass-  become a major part of that growth.  base to become the sport’s next fron-  With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
            roots efforts became the foundation   Among  the  franchises  leading   tier. His vision is simple: true success   bringing cricket back to the Olympic
            for today’s revival.              this movement, the San Francisco   will come not when overseas stars fill   Continued on next page... >>

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