‘Huge excitement, even in the Indian consulate’: Indian Consul General in Pradhan, New York

The T20 World Cup in the US is a “landmark event” and there is tremendous excitement among the diaspora and across America, India’s envoy said here, stressing that the tournament plays a “very important role” in bringing cricket to the country’s mainstream. and will further contribute to the bilateral people-to-people relationship.

“This is the first time we are playing a (cricket) World Cup on American soil. There is tremendous excitement not only among the members of the Indian diaspora but even in the United States,” Consul General of India in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan told PTI here in an exclusive chat ahead of the much-awaited tournament.

He said that US Congressmen, Senators and elected representatives are talking about the T20 Cricket World Cup to be held in the US.

The T20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the USA and West Indies from June 2 to 29. The Indian cricket team, which has left India for New York, will start its campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the newly built Nassau. County International Cricket Stadium in New York. India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9, followed by matches against co-hosts USA (June 12) and Canada (June 15) in their Group A matches.

India won the first edition in South Africa in 2007.

“I am sure this will be a milestone,” Pradhan said. “Team India represents India in more ways than one. There is tremendous excitement not only in the community but even in the Indian Consulate,” Pradhan said. adding that “we look forward to welcoming them and will be there to cheer them on, and they will have fun here.”

India will play three matches in New York – against Ireland, Pakistan and the United States. “This is the first time India is playing with the American team. So it’s really a momentous occasion,” he said.

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Talking about the feverish anticipation for the India-Pakistan match, Pradhan said tickets for the match were sold out months before the tournament and many visitors from India were expected to travel to New York, especially for the match.

“There is tremendous excitement,” he said, adding that several very prominent people from the Indian diaspora and the American audience would be watching this match. “So we’re looking forward to that too,” he said.

Cricket is not a mainstream sport in the US, which is traditionally a baseball, American football, basketball, ice hockey and soccer nation.

Members of the diaspora from the Indian subcontinent and members of other cricket-playing countries such as the West Indies and Australia play the sport in the US, but usually on temporary, homemade pitches at baseball fields, in parks and other places. on school sports fields during the summer months.

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Pradhan said the T20 World Cup plays a “very important role in promoting cricket in the mainstream United States.”

Ahead of the World Cup, the Consulate General of India in New York released a special video highlighting the comparison and similarities between cricket and baseball to “inform the American public to look forward to this game and that this sport is very popular. Much similar in some respects to baseball.”

Pradhan said the response the consulate has received has been tremendous.

Noting that cricket is currently very popular among the Indian diaspora, Pradhan referred to the professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United States Major Premier League and the Minor Premier League.

“It is already catching up in the diaspora. But I won’t be surprised if in a few years you will find that the Americans – not the Americans of Indian origin, but the Americans will play cricket as a mainstream game,” he said.

Pradhan noted that cricket infrastructure, including real stadiums, is now emerging in the US, as he mentioned the Nassau County Stadium where India will play three matches.

He said he was recently in New York State’s capital, Albany, where he saw a cricket stadium. “I am told that cricket stadiums are emerging in many parts of the United States, both on the East Coast and the West Coast,” and many less used baseball stadiums are also being converted into cricket stadiums.

“It is just a matter of a few years before you will find infrastructure for cricket (in the US) that will be as developed as we have in our country,” he said.

As a diplomatic establishment, the Indian Consulate has invited the political leaders of the ten east coast states as well as some members of the India Caucus, including Congressmen and Senators, to watch the match between India and the United States on June 12.

“Because I think it is appropriate that they come and cheer on both the Indian and American teams. We will also cheer on both teams. So the June 12 match is special for me as a diplomatic establishment when teams from India and America play against each other,” he said.

“Of course the other matches are important. The India-Pakistan match has always remained the focus,” Pradhan said.

He added that he was personally looking forward to hosting many American dignitaries who would “join us to watch the India-US match.”