By Maya Gayler

The National Cricket League (NCL) gave students at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), which will be hosting its historic 2024 Sixty Strikes Tournament next month, a sneak peek into the game of Cricket as they met NCL coaches and leadership at the pop-up sports event.

Aryan Badhak, a sophomore Computer Science major, is a member of UTD’s Comet Cricket Club (CCC) and was among dozens of students lining up to bat some balls. Born in India, Badhak says he played cricket daily with his friends and is looking forward to the sport entering the American mainstream.

“We do not get a lot of international cricket here in the USA, so bringing cricket to UTD and, by extension, to the USA, will be phenomenal for the growth of the sport,” said Badhak.

“We are so excited that we were chosen to host the very first, I mean, really big sports arena for cricket in the US, here at UT Dallas,” said UTD Director of Alumni Matt Winser. “We have such a large, diverse student population. We have a lot of international students. And the cool thing about cricket, it’s a worldwide, popular sport, and I feel excited that the US is catching up to see how exciting the sport is.”

The tournament is set for October 4 – 14 and is expected to draw crowds of thousands as well as millions of viewers online. Meanwhile, construction for a purpose-built stadium is currently underway near the campus, at the corner of University Parkway and Campbell Road in Richardson. NCL chairman, Arun Agarwal collaborated with the UTD Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, Dr. Kyle Edgington to establish the space.

Dallas-based coach Mohsin Khan instructs cricket clinics as a volunteer in the city of Dallas and promotes cricket events in the DFW metroplex.

“This is one of the most fabulous things that has happened to Dallas, our cricket was always hidden,” said Khan. “Now NCL has given a platform we’ve never had, and the relationship with UTD is fabulous.”

UTD staff and Bangladeshi Student Organization adviser, Ashfia Salmemin says she played cricket growing up in Bangladesh, “I’m very grateful that the NCL is coming to UT, Dallas. It’s a great opportunity for our students, staff and faculty to get very involved, and as I said, we get to see cricket legends.”

The legend she’s most excited about is Pakistani international cricketing icon, Shahid Afridi, “I think he’s the man of my dreams. I’m married, but my husband knows that, so when he gets here I’m gonna run towards him.”

In a series of themed nights during the tournament, which include domestic violence awareness, and celebrating veterans as well as public health service heroes, UTD Alumni Night for the tournament will be on October 10, and offers a student discount, using code UTstu for 10% off ticket purchases.

With over 2.5 billion fans worldwide, cricket stands as one of the most watched sports in the world. “This amazing game teaches discipline, leadership, skills, camaraderie, teammanship, and friendship,” said Khan. “It is a package that brings out the best.”

The NCL tournament opens with Bollywood superstar Mika Singh, bringing a Coachella-like energy. This season, NCL brings together cricket legends known worldwide—Zaheer Abbas, Wasim Akram, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sir Vivian Richards, Venkatesh Prasad, Sanath Jayasuriya, Moin Khan, and Blair Franklin. The cricketing heroes will mentor and coach the next generation of players.

The league will also feature top-tier players from around the world, including Shahid Afridi, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Shakib Al Hasan, Robin Uthappa, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Chris Lynn, Angelo Mathews, Colin Munro, Sam Billings, Mohammad Nabi, Johnson Charles.

The NCL has partnered with ESPN, Pluto TV, SKY, TNT and Fox Sports to bring live coverage to a global audience, so fans worldwide can catch all the action.