4 reasons why the United States could be the next big cricketing destination
The United States has always set the golden standard for any sporting event from the Olympics to racing events. America enjoys a good sporting history and is fairly open to sports that have traveled across continents and timelines. Cricket, however, continues to remain largely dormant. This is probably because of the fact that America gained its independence in the latter half of 1700s when cricket was still growing through the British colonies.
However few centuries down the line, the US looks ideal to accept the sport as the stage seems set. The United States has since seen a growth in diverse sports. The country as a whole has participated in a wide range of competitive sports including Kabaddi at the Kabaddi World Cup in India in 2016.
Add to this the fact that cricket is looking to expand beyond the Commonwealth nations and establish its footing in other countries and newer markets. The US gained Associate status in the year 1965 and has not turned back since.
Most recently, Saurabh Netravalkar made headlines for being appointed as the captain of the US cricket team. There was a great reception to the news that a former Mumbai Ranji player is now captaining the US team. The United States might turn out to be cricket's newest grazing grounds. Here are 4 reasons why-
#1 The Big Bucks
America is the world's forerunner when it comes to capitalism. Commercialization is very high as validated by Forbes claim that the sports industry in the US will be valued at around 74 Billion Dollars next year and a whopping 20 Billion Dollars in media rights alone in 2019. Cricket fits right into this algorithm.
The IPL, for instance, has seen a mammoth business figure of 5.3 Billion Dollars. A franchise's value reaches up to 65 Million Dollars. Furthermore, the broadcasting rights to the IPL is held by an American company through a subsidiary. There is no doubt that the shine on freshly minted notes that cricket has been churning out has caught the attention of the continent state and will soon see a spike in the sport.