Keya Dahale

On a sticky wicket…Explaining proper bowling technique, ex-English cricketer Liam Plunkett (right) leads a one-on-one session with Under-11 Philly Knights Vice Captain Vihaan Puppala weeks before an Under-12 MLC Jr tournament in Tampa Bay, Florida.

To declare a world One-Day International (ODI) champion, the Cricket World Cup, officially known as ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, is taking place in India from October 5-November 19.
ODI is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two international teams.
It takes place every four years and lasts about six weeks.
According to Major League Cricket Academy Philadelphia Coach Mario Rampersaud, it is “basically a sport that’s played with a cricket bat and a cricket ball.”
A cricket bat, consisting of a long handle and rectangular face, is used to hit a cricket ball made of a cork core with leather stitched around.
The batter hits the ball and runs in between three wickets marked in the ground. Each time the batter runs is counted as a point.
Hitting the ball outside of the boundary without it touching the ground is six runs, and hitting it along the ground to the boundary is four.
The game is structured so that every six pitches is an “over.”
A T20 game is a game that consists of 20 overs.
Cricket is an English sport that still remains popular in former British colonies such as India, Pakistan, South Africa and Australia.
According to Rampersaud, it is the “second most popular sport in the world.”
According to roadtrips.com, the World Cup is the third most watched sporting event in the world, with approximately 2.6 billion viewers.
“[The World Cup] is good for youngsters to watch to gain awareness of the sport,” Rampersaud said.
Many children playing cricket find it interesting to watch the World Cup.
“Currently it’s really exciting,” Philly Knights Under-11 opening batsman and wicketkeeper Shubh Sahu said. “I’m just having a really good time watching it. That’s what I love about it.”
Philly Crushers Under-13 Captain Chaitan Parreddy said he feels inspired “because the players are fighting till the end for their country’s pride.”
Sahu said that he looked forward to watching the tournament because of India’s performance.
India were undefeated, only losing to Australia in the finals.
Although it was once popular in the United States, specifically Philadelphia, the sport has now died out.
Americans still play and are hoping to revive it.
“Since I’ve moved [to the U.S.], I’ve been very surprised with how many kids play cricket,” ex-English professional cricketer and now-San Francisco Unicorns player Liam Plunkett said.
Plunkett predicts that cricket will make a comeback through efforts made by professional players and academies.
“There’s going to be more facilities that get built and more professional cricketers that want to get involved in Major League Cricket,” Plunkett said.
Major League Cricket (MLC) started in the U.S. last summer as the nation’s first world class professional T20 league.
Six teams took part in the competition: the Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom.
Many international players who have played or are playing in the world cup play in this league.
Coaches hope that the kids they coach will one day grow up to play for their country.
“I used to envision myself winning the World Cup, and that became a reality in 2019 when me and a group of guys won the World Cup in England,” Plunkett said.
MLC Jr. tournaments are national tournaments that have leagues based on age groups.
So far, in 2023, there have been four tournaments.