'I never thought that we would be playing cricket...': Virat Kohli's big statement ahead of T20 World Cup

Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, Team India star Virat Kohli recently expressed his enthusiasm about the burgeoning popularity of cricket in the United States. USA, alongside the West Indies, will co-host the T20 World Cup for the first time in ICC history. Kohli, in a video shared by the US Consulate Mumbai on its social media platform (formerly known as Twitter), acknowledged that the opportunity to play cricket in the USA was once unimaginable for the Indian team. He commended the United States for embracing the sport and fostering its growth within their borders.

"Honestly, I never thought that we would be playing cricket in any form in the United States. Now, it's a reality. That tells you about the growing impact of the sport in the world and in the United States more than willing to accept the change and be probably the first ones on a global scale to accept it." Kohli said in a video.

"The World Cup is a great way to start with. It's an ideal way to begin. So, I think it's going to have a huge impact. And, starting off with kind of a domino effect and that carries on for a long period of time." he added.

 

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In a major boost to their T20 World Cup preparation, USA Cricket stunned the well-established Bangladesh team in a recent three-match T20I series. The series win, secured with a victory in the second match held in Houston, has instilled significant confidence in the Monank Patel-led American squad.

 

Kohli sees upward trend for US Cricket

Further fueling the excitement, former Indian captain Virat Kohli weighed in on the development. He believes cricket in the USA is on a positive trajectory, with Major League Cricket playing a crucial role in driving the sport's popularity within the country.

 

'It's has great potential with the MLC. There's already franchise happening in the States. I think, it's moving in the right direction" Kohli concluded.

 

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Launched in 2021, Major League Cricket (MLC) has been instrumental in propelling cricket's growth in the United States. The inaugural tournament, held in 2023, featured six teams with familiar names like MI New York, Los Angeles Knight Riders, and Texas Super Kings, creating a strong connection to established leagues worldwide. Meanwhile, Team India will take center stage at the newly built Nassau International Cricket Stadium in New York for all their group stage matches during the T20 World Cup. Their journey to reclaim the title begins on June 5 against Ireland.

 

India's T20 World Cup squad

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Reserve players: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan

 

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