Kohli Hopes T20 World Cup in Americas Will Ignite Global Interest in Cricket
Star India batter Virat Kohli expressed his excitement on Friday about playing cricket in the United States, highlighting the T20 World Cup’s significance in expanding the sport’s global reach. The USA and the West Indies are co-hosting the T20 World Cup, which kicks off on June 2. Kohli, who arrived in New York on Friday evening (Indian time) to prepare for the tournament, shared his thoughts in a video posted by the US Consulate in Mumbai on X (formerly Twitter).
“Honestly, I never thought we would be playing cricket in any form in the States (USA), but now it’s a reality,” Kohli remarked. “That tells you about the growing impact of the sport in the world, and the United States is more than willing to accept the change and be probably the first ones on a global scale to accept it, in a way, with the World Cup.” Kohli sees this as a “great start” and hopes the T20 World Cup in the Americas will create a domino effect, further promoting and expanding cricket globally.
Kohli also noted the significant role South Asian communities in the Americas can play in sustaining and spreading the sport. “We have enough people from our regions to keep the game up and alive in the States and make the others more aware of what it feels like to play and watch cricket,” he said. He highlighted the potential of cricket in the USA, mentioning the Major League Cricket (MLC), which recently received List A status from the ICC ahead of its second season. “It’s moving in the right direction,” Kohli concluded, optimistic about cricket’s future in the region.
