Cricket is becoming increasingly popular in Houston, with the Triggers Cricket Consortium (TCC) at the forefront of the growth. The TCC, founded by Surya Saladi in 2004, has seen a significant increase in participation, with over 1,000 youth players between the ages of seven and 17.

Local Cricket Community

The TCC has access to 35 cricket grounds in the Houston area, a mix of traditional grass wickets and astroturf. The organization offers various programs, including adult teams that compete in the Houston Cricket League, a tapedball league with around 45 youth teams, and high-performance courses for youth cricketers.

According to Saladi, the key to making cricket a mainstream sport is to get it into schools and build a strong grassroots foundation. He draws parallels with the growth of soccer in the 1980s, which gained popularity through grassroots efforts.

Coaches and players, including Dutch coach Job van Bunge and former Bangladesh international Gholam Nousher, are optimistic about the future of cricket in Houston. They point to the increasing participation rates and the growing standard of play, with professional coaches and better facilities.

Ishaan Malpani, a 15-year-old all-rounder, is one of the many young players with ambitions to play cricket at the international level. With the support of his family and the TCC, he is training almost every day and playing games on the weekends.

The growth of cricket in Houston is not limited to the youth. The sport is also becoming a viable career option for players, with opportunities to turn professional and compete at the national and international levels.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.