High school teams to face off in cricket tournament

TROY — Four local schools will face off in a cricket tournament at the Troy Community Center on Sunday, May 14.

The teams competing will be students from Troy High School, International Academy East in Troy, Washtenaw International High School in Ypsilanti and Plymouth-Canton Educational Park.

“The first game starts at 10 a.m., and the last game starts at 8 p.m. There will be four high school teams competing. It’s all free to attend,” said Sarthak Subudhi, the co-captain of the Washtenaw International High School team. “This is the first time we’ve organized an event like this. Many of the clubs started this year. International Academy East and Troy High School have played a match in the fall already. This is the first time all four will compete.”

The competition format will include three parts and will take place at the Troy Community Center, located at 3179 Livernois Road. Teams will be randomized to play against each other, and then all teams will advance to the semifinals. The winning teams from the semifinals will advance to the final, while the losing teams from the semifinals will play for third place.

The games tend to be fast-paced, with each team batting and bowling for a maximum of 10 overs — similar to innings. The matches are played with 10 players per team on a cricket pitch.

Krish Desai is the captain of the International Academy East team and said that he and several other passionate students have been fighting so that their school would start a cricket team.

“Our team has been in existence for two years, since I started it as a freshman,” he said. “I worked with teachers and administrators to bring this new sport to Michigan.”

The students on the teams wanted more opportunities to play the sport they love and perhaps introduce others to it as well.

“This is something new for a lot of people that they haven’t seen before,” Subudhi said. “We want this to promote cricket in America and Michigan. It’s crazy that cricket isn’t that popular. It’s popular everywhere else, like southeast Asia, India and Australia, so why not the USA?”

“Cricket isn’t often addressed in the U.S.,” Desai added. “This means bringing more opportunities for students to experience it. It’s important.”

Subudhi said that there was a growing interest in cricket this year because of the Cricket World Cup. That increased the desire to play in those who love the sport.

“This year, since the Cricket World Cup, there was a lot of cricket fever for fans,” he said. “I’m a junior in high school, so I wanted to start a cricket club because it’s such a good pastime and a great way to have fun. There were a lot of people I knew who wanted to play more.”

Desai has been playing since he was young, and it’s a longtime interest in his family.

“Cricket is something I’ve been playing for 10 years now, since my dad watches and plays himself,” he said. “Now I play for the U-19 national team. It’s something I really enjoy and am passionate about.”

Both team captains said they hope for a solid and fun afternoon and perhaps a chance to get others to explore the sport they love.

“This cricket tournament is a cool way to put cricket out there,” said Desai. “I think people should attend, because it’s a new opportunity to see it and talk to people who love it. It will be a great way to experience something new.”