Is cricket really coming to the United States?

The game has long desired to conquer the land of dreams, and it won’t get a better shot at finally making it big.

As the United States hosts 16 matches of the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, there are high hopes that cricket can finally make significant inroads in a lucrative and populous market.

The stars have seemingly aligned: Following the T20 World Cup, the second edition of the privately run Major League Cricket franchise tournament will bring some of the game’s biggest stars to the US and, in 2028, cricket will feature at the LA Olympics for the first time since 1900.

However, cricket in the US has a history of poor governance, riven by factions and financial mismanagement. The sport’s growth has been hampered by the country’s sheer size and diversity of cricket cultures – factors also considered potential strengths.

Here’s the lowdown on cricket’s history in the US and a peek into its future:

Is there an existing cricket culture in the USA?

When USA and Canada meet in the opening match on June 1, there will be plentiful reminders that these two countries played the first international cricket match in 1844, when Canada won the two-day fixture.

But the game took a backseat until the latter half of the 20th century when increased immigration – particularly from the Indian subcontinent – saw the game grow – with little cohesion – in communities from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh as well as the Caribbean.

USA have a cricket board?

A national governing board, the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA), was formed in 1965 but it struggled to unify the diverse and siloed cricket communities for the next three decades.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), at times, implemented sanctions – withdrawing USA from tournaments, withholding funds and suspensions – all of which failed to overcome the fundamental issues.In 2017, the USACA was expelled from the ICC.

So who’s in charge now?

A new governing body, USA Cricket (USAC), was formed in 2019 and the USA was officially back in the ICC’s fold as an associate member. There was a new board and a new constitution, but the underlying problems of geography, culture and power struggles remained.

The following year, after extensive research on potential expansion markets, the ICC identified the USA as the game’s most desirable target. This was largely down to its size, economy, broadcast market and the existing cricket infrastructure and culture.

IND vs BAN T20 World Cup Warm-Up

India vs Bangladesh, T20 World Cup Warm-Up, Live Updates: Star batter Virat Kohli's participation remains a huge topic of discussion as India take on Bangladesh in their only T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match in New York. Kohli only arrived at the Big Apple on the eve of the contest and it is not clear whether the former captain will take part in the contest. Sans Kohli, India are likely to play all the players in order to get them accustomed to the conditions at the Nassau County International Stadium. Kohli arrived at the stadium with the rest of the team for final warm-ups, but a call on his playing time will be taken on the spot. He was sitting in the front seat of the team bus with captain Rohit Sharma.

PITCH REPORT

Russell Arnold is at the 22 yards. He begins by saying that it's a beautiful day in New York. Adds that it is a drop-in pitch and it has got a good covering of grass on it. Reckons that the ball will come nicely onto the bat and thinks 180-190 will be a par score.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, haven't been at their best recently and it will be a nice challenge for them to face a strong Indian side. Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead the side and will also be one of the key batters alongside Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Mahmudullah. Once again, the onus will be on Shakib Al Hasan to contribute with both bat and ball. Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam will be their frontline pacers with Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain supporting Shakib in the spin department. Despite the recent lack of form, they have a balanced unit and can be a dark horse in the tournament. Stay tuned for toss and other updates.

India have named a strong squad for the World Cup but it will be interesting to see how their batting order will look like here. The form Virat Kohli is in, they can go with him and Rohit Sharma as openers while they can also go with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The middle order is stacked as well with players like SKY, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya. The injury to Shami is a big loss but Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj make up a good pace attack while Pandya can complement them well too. Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav will lead the spin attack but this game will mostly be about adapting to the conditions.

Hello and a warm welcome folks! The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is just around the corner and it is time for the last warm-up match. We will finally see India in action and they are going up against Bangladesh for the final preparations before the main event.

With the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 about to start, teams are tweaking their game plans and experimenting with lineups in the warm-up fixtures. India is set to face Bangladesh in its solitary warm-up match at the Nassau Cricket County International Cricket Stadium in New York before they kick off their league phase journey against Ireland later. The Indian squad is fired up and looking strong, aiming to bring the trophy home this time around. With Rohit Sharma, the skipper at the helm, the batting order features stars like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli. 

Kohli's presence alone amps up the intensity to a whole new level. And after his stellar performance in the recently concluded Indian T20 League, in-form Virat Kohli will look to carry forward that momentum into this mega tournament. The star-studded batting lineup further bolsters with the powerhouses like Suryakumar Yadav in the mix. 

The middle order is explosive, featuring the return of the in-form Rishabh Pant alongside Sanju Samson, giving India two strong wicket-keeper batter options. Shivam Dube's brute strength will be crucial for dramatically inflating the scoring rate in the backend. Vastly experienced players like Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja will be key with the bat to provide those clutch finishing roles and also serve as dependable bowling options. 

India has opted for a spin-heavy attack, including the trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Yuzvendra Chahal, making it four spin bowling options in total. The pace attack looks threatening with Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and the marquee pacer Jasprit Bumrah leading the charge. On the flip side, Bangladesh is still smarting from a rough series defeat against the USA, which is definitely going to sting them for a while. 

With Najmul Hossain Shanto as the skipper, and players like Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, and seasoned pros like Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan, they're itching to bounce back strong. With Taskin Ahmed back in the pack as the vice-captain, their bowling line up has got a boost. Bangladesh's initial warm-up game against the USA was washed out due to rain. 

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However, their practice match against India serves the perfect platform as they prepare to face one of the probable favorites, and to brush up their skills before heading into the main business. Given the history between these two teams and them sharing a history of some historically memorable encounters in the shortest format, and also, with the weather being fairly clear and pleasant with no rain in the forecast, it promises to be a mouth-watering contest for sure.