As cricket gains fans in North Texas, UT Dallas bets on a new tournament

Cricket’s popularity is growing in North Texas, and Dallas will soon host the sport’s newest tournament.

The Dallas-based National Cricket League announced it will host its inaugural season at the University of Texas at Dallas from Oct. 4-14, bringing a new form of cricket to the area.

The Sixty Strikes tournament will feature six teams with players from around the world, including the home team, the Dallas Wolves.

“UT Dallas, home to many international students and the Comets Cricket Club, is the perfect location for the inaugural season of NCL USA,” said James B. Milliken, chancellor of the University of Texas System, in a statement announcing the tournament. “With the popularity of cricket around the world, I share Texans’ enthusiasm for its expanded reach here.”

According to NCL, matches will be played at a faster pace than traditional cricket. Sixty Strikes is fast-paced so players can score more points in a more competitive environment. Cricket matches vary in length; during the upcoming tournament, each match will last about 90 minutes.

In addition, NCL USA plans to feature Bollywood and Hollywood artists throughout the tournament. UTD officials said they hope the combination of sports and entertainment will “create a unique atmosphere for the matches.”

Kyle Edgington, vice president of development and alumni relations at UT Dallas, said he has noticed that many cities around North Texas have a recreational cricket organization and hopes the tournament will bring the community together.

“We’d love to see where we can bring people who might not otherwise come to UT Dallas, who might come see a game this fall,” Edgington said.

UTD officials said Improvements are being made to the college cricket ground, including over 2,000 seats in the stands and VIP tents. The event will also be broadcast live internationally.

“Our great state has welcomed Major League Cricket and the National Cricket League USA, both of which have a presence and teams in North Texas,” said Gov. Greg Abbott in a press release. “As cricket expands its global fan base, Texas will have front-row seats to watch its growth across the country.”

A growing sport

There are more than 400 cricket leagues or programmes and 200,000 players across the country. according to USA Cricket.

It will return to the Olympics in 2028, marking more than a century since its last appearance.

The United States competed in and co-hosted the International Cricket Council’s men’s T20 Cricket World Cup for the first time earlier this year, including four matches in Dallas. Like the National Cricket League, Major League Cricket is also based in Dallas. The MLC repurposed the former Airhogs Stadium in Grand Prairie as the home cricket stadium for the Texas Super Kings.

Cricket is the The second most watched sport in the world behind football. It is traditionally popular in European and South Asian countries, but has gained attention in the US in recent years, with Texas seeing the biggest boost.

Between 2022 and 2023, the Asian American population in Texas increased by 5.5%, making it the fastest-growing racial group in the state, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Arun Agarwal, president of NCL USA, said the growing interest in cricket in North Texas may, in part, be related to the growing number of international students in the area from countries where cricket is more popular, such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

“I think this is really going to be a game-changer at the local, state and national level,” Agarwal said, “because we’re establishing a new model for being on a college campus (that has) international students who are familiar with the game.”

Penelope Rivera is KERA’s News Intern. Got a tip? Email Penelope at [email protected].

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