Cricket world cup matches will take place in the U.S. for the first time ever in June, marking a push to grow the sport in North America.
While it hasn't broken through in the U.S., cricket has seen success in such countries as Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies. But it's arguably made the biggest mark in India, where it's the most popular sport in a country of more than 1.4 billion people, according to research firm Statista.exceeded $1 billion
" match has already been sold out with 34,000 seats at the venue in New York," Della Penna said."That just gives you a sense of the magnitude of the opportunity that going to have during the world cup — with a television audience that's unprecedented for any match that the U.S. has ever been involved with before — when you consider the Indian market and other markets like England or Australia.
Tasmai Krishnan, a teenage cricket enthusiast in India and host of podcast"Cricstatic," said the sport is an"integral part" of Indian culture. With new sports such as pickleball gathering popularity, Tasmai said he hopes cricket will also grow in the U.S. and he's interested to see how the U.S. will fit into the global cricket circuit after the world cup.
Samuel, who already has his tickets secured, said he believes this world cup will be a launching pad for cricket to take off in the U.S. — but he's not rooting for either side in the final match.