From left: Kyle Edgington, VP of development and alumni relations at UTD; UTD President Richard C. Benson; and Arun Agarwal, chairman of the National Cricket League USA. [Photo: UTD]
Cricket’s North Texas takeover continues, as a second national league is bowling into the region—and onto the pitch this fall.
The Dallas-based National Cricket League USA will hold its inaugural Sixty Strikes Tournament October 4-14 at UT Dallas in Richardson, featuring six “world-class” teams packed with international star players.
Unlike some cricket matches—which can literally take days to finish—the Sixty Strikes format seems perfectly attuned for fast-paced American sports. The new “60-ball” format takes just around 90 minutes to play, ratcheting up the intensity of every moment. Dallas Innovates first told you about the NCL USA last December, when some earlier planned NCL events were initially announced.
The NCL USA’s inaugural October tournament will follow other big cricket introductions in North Texas, including the 2023 launch of Major League Cricket at Grand Prairie Stadium between Dallas and Fort Worth, led by investors including Anurag Jain, partner with Perot Jain and chairman of Access Healthcare, and Ross Perot Jr., chairman of the Perot Group. In June, there was also the ICC Men’s 2024 T20 World Cup, which had its opening match in Grand Prairie. And up north at Grandscape in The Colony, you can try out an immersive batting-cage-like cricket experience at Sixes Social Cricket.
Arun Agarwal (center left), chairman of the National Cricket League USA, and UTD President Richard C. Benson (center right) with university and NCL USA leaders on the UT Dallas campus. [Photo: UTD]
UTD’s cricket field getting a big-league makeover
The October MCL USA tournament will be hosted by UT Dallas and played on its current cricket field, which is getting a makeover including installed lighting, and spectator-prepared grounds. Seating will include 2,040 bleacher seats and tented VIP areas—and the tournament will be streamed “for worldwide viewing,” UTD said.
“This collaboration between UT Dallas and the NCL USA represents a groundbreaking moment for cricket in the U.S.,” NCL USA Chairman Arun Agarwal said in a statement. (Agarwal is the CEO of Dallas-based Nextt, one of America’s biggest home textile companies, and was named chair of Dallas’ Community Bond Task Force Committee last year.) “By merging world-class cricket with premier entertainment, we’ll captivate a diverse audience and elevate the sport’s presence in North Texas. Sixty Strikes is set to be a game-changer.”
Dallas Wolves, five other city teams set to play
Want to cheer on the hometown team? That would be the Dallas Wolves, who will be playing the Atlanta Archers, the Houston Stars, the Washington Vipers, the Los Angeles Legends, and the Chicago Hurricanes.
Leading the teams will be some international cricketing icons, including Muhammad, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Mohd Amir, Angelo Mathews, Jason Roy, Muhammad Nabi, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Shahid Afridi, and Kamran Akmal.
Other cricket legends will be “mentoring” the players, the league said, including Dilip Vengsarkar, and Zaheer Abbas, with cricket greats Vivian Richards and Sanath Jayasuriya providing the coaching.
Posing with the National Cricket League trophy at the league’s September 2023 launch event. [Photo: Flash Brush Images]
‘Cricket meets Coachella’: Bollywood and Hollywood stars to be featured
Along with matches on the pitch, stars from both Bollywood and Hollywood will be featured “throughout the tournament,” according to the MCL USA.
“The NCL USA is reimagining cricket as a global entertainment phenomenon, combining athleticism with the glamour of Bollywood,” Agarwal said. “We’re building a world-class venue to host this exciting new era of cricket. North Texas is about to experience a cricket revolution. It’s cricket meets Coachella!”
UTD President Richard Benson noted that cricket is already very much at home on his campus.
“Many in our UT Dallas community play or follow the game, so bringing this innovative tournament to campus is a natural fit,” Benson said in a statement. “We’re excited for the opportunity to host alumni and supporters and to introduce newcomers to our university.”
Even Texas Governor Greg Abbott weighed in on the event.
“Texas is proud to host the inaugural Sixty Strikes Tournament,” he said in a statement. “Earlier this year, Texas hosted the first T20 Cricket World Cup in the United States, and our great state has welcomed the Major League Cricket and National Cricket League USA—both of which have a presence and teams in North Texas. As cricket expands its global fan base, Texas will hold front-row seats to its growth across the nation.”
For match schedules and more info, visit the NCL USA website.
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Publish date : 2024-08-12 10:46:00
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