In a shocking turn of events during the Cricket T20 World Cup, the official U.S. men’s cricket team secured a surprising victory against Pakistan last Thursday after pushing the match to a tiebreaker. This remarkable win was achieved by a team of part-time players, primarily consisting of Southeast Asian and Caribbean American athletes.
Pakistan, ranked sixth in the world and known for its deep-rooted cricket culture, faced one of the biggest upsets in modern cricket history. This marked the U.S. team’s first appearance in the competition, making their victory even more extraordinary.
“It is not just one person,” said Saurabh Netravalkar, a member of the winning U.S. cricket team. “The great thing with this team is everyone has been contributing to their own roles. In the key moments, there have been real acts of brilliance — like catches or good shots. Hopefully, we can continue that in our next two games.”
Cricket is the second most popular sport globally, boasting over 2.5 billion fans. However, the sport has not gained similar traction in the United States, overshadowed by football, basketball, and baseball.
This wasn’t always the case. According to The Smithsonian, the first documented cricket game in the U.S. was played in 1751. Furthermore, the first-ever international cricket match took place between the U.S. and Canada in 1844. However, cricket’s popularity waned as baseball became the nation’s favorite pastime. Since then, cricket has mainly been played by immigrant communities from countries like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, where cricket enjoys a larger following.
The year 2024 has proven to be pivotal for cricket in the U.S. Not only is the country co-hosting the T20 World Cup for the first time, but the victory against Pakistan has sparked a surge of interest in the sport domestically. USA Cricket reports that over 400 cricket leagues currently exist in the country, and this landmark win could inspire even more participation.
