Cricket is Taking Strong Root in the USA and Canada

Cricket has been on a rapid growth throughout the globe. Recently, the sport has gained a lot of popularity in North America. The South Asian nations and a few others were already obsessed with the sport. This tremendous growth has made cricket the second most followed sport globally.

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America has observed the highest amount of growth among non-Test playing nations. The franchise-based domestic leagues are the first step in the sport’s growth. Recently, the United States co-hosted a T-20 World Cup. This tournament has spiked the popularity of the game. The US team also secured victory against Pakistan. This has boosted the confidence of upcoming players. Not only American, cricket has gained a lot of popularity in Canada.

Cricket Getting Popularity in the United States

According to reports, at least 400 cricket leagues exist in the USA. Around 2,00,000 people are involved in the sport and there is a rapid rise in the numbers. One of the major reasons behind this is the migration of individuals. More than five million Americans are of South Asian descent.

The USA hosted the T20 World Cup in 2024 and that was a huge boost. Fans witnessed all the global superstars playing cricket in their nation. India and Pakistan played each other in the T20 World Cup in New York. More than 34,000 people filled the stadium to watch this epic rivalry.           

Cricket: Major League

The first edition of the Major League Cricket was played in 2023. This is a similar tournament to the IPL and has attracted a few global stars. Six teams are a part of this league. Three of the IPL investor groups have their teams in the MLC.

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Some top players opt to play franchise cricket towards the end of their careers. These players are very popular and also have a separate fanbase. The franchise leagues have helped in the growth of the sport as huge names attract huge crowds.

Popularity in Canada

Another nation that has witnessed tremendous growth in cricket is Canada. Similar to the US, Canada also has a lot of population from South Asia. Canada has a huge history in cricket. Cricket Canada was founded in 1892. They saw a rapid rise in the early 2000s after being a part of three consecutive World Cups from 2003-2011. Following these appearances, Canada was on the back foot as they lost their ODI status. In 2023, Canada regained their ODI status after nine years.

In Canada, the sport is followed by 61% and 39% females. A diverse fan culture has presented a huge opportunity for brands to enter the market. Brands often sponsor top teams and top players. This is a huge factor in their growth as well as the growth of the sport. Canada also has its own franchise-based cricket league, the Global T20 Canada. This is also similar to the MLC.

Overall, cricket is on tremendous growth in these two nations. The USA has experienced more growth than its neighbors. These two nations will hope to host more ICC tournaments for the betterment of the sport.