A sport that is played by millions around the world and watched by billions is taking hold in the United States. Cricket, the game that originated in England before spreading to India, Australia, South Africa, and other countries, has taken another step to becoming mainstream in America with the start of the US Premier League (USPL). The semi-professional, Twenty20 cricket league, powered by Cricket Clubs of Westchester, Offbeet Media Group,  USPL, USPL Tech, and USPL News, has its official launch on March 18, 2022. Its leaders, Sandeep Singh, Dinkal Patel, Dr. Ashok Chopra, and Jaideep Singh, have big plans for USPL, including the start of the first-ever women’s cricket league. We stopped by to talk to USPL’s Founders to learn more about why cricket is enjoying such increasing popularity in the United States as well as how they believe USPL will contribute to the growth of cricket in America. 

“We all could not be more excited about USPL,” Ashok and Dinkal say. “We have all loved cricket as well as the strong sports scene in the United States for many years. There is also a thriving immigrant community here, including people from the Caribbean and South Asia, and they are equally passionate about cricket. Given this, we believe that now is the right time to introduce this semi-professional league to the country, as it is likely to find an enthusiastic reception.” 

Sandeep explains that USPL’s leadership has specific goals that they believe they can reach. “Our main objective is to grow the popularity of cricket at the grass roots level,” he says. “We want to bring it into local communities so that children, parents, and individuals can discover the fun and drama that are inherent to the sport. As more people become interested in playing it or even watching it, it will be the catalyst for the growth that we seek on a bigger scale.” 

Jaideep continues by saying that the league will work to develop the infrastructure for cricket within the Tri-State area. “We plan to collaborate with public and private initiatives so that young, upcoming talent will be able to play in an environment that is suitable for developing their skills,” he reveals. “There is already so much space within communities that is dedicated to sports that we think it will be relatively simple to adapt it to our usage.” 

By creating this infrastructure and connecting with the public, USPL will grow into a major semi-professional cricket league in the United States. “This is very important to us because by doing so, we can essentially become a strong talent pipeline to US Cricket and its associated major, professional leagues (MLC or/and MiLC) ,” Sandeep says. “We want the players in our league to have the opportunity to take their skills and passion as far as they want to, even all the way to the national level.” 

Importantly, USPL has plans to develop a strong, blockchain-empowered footprint that will enable communities to engage and collaborate with each other. “Yes, we want to see our players go into bigger leagues,” Jaideep states. “However, the sport is ultimately about community and bringing people together. That’s why we are designing our tech ecosystem: so that more people can bond over their love of cricket.” 

Sandeep and his co-founders have unique expertise in blockchain technology for NFT/metaverse concepts and creative media. “We are leveraging this to bring technology, entertainment, and excitement to the game of cricket. The result will be talent discovery, league management, platforms to play, live shows, live streams, interviews, profiles, bytes, and music tracks. On OpenSea, we even have the first NFT marketplace for people who like cricket. We are creating a buzz amongst all the cricket lovers and helping to show the country why the sport is so amazing.”  

While it may take time to reach the results that USPL envisions, the league is well on its way. Although its official launch has yet to happen, over 200 players have been onboarded, and the rosters of five teams are already full.  

“There is already strong interest in playing cricket here in the United States,” USPL’s Founders confirm. “What USPL is doing is providing a way for those enthusiasts to play or watch the game. As we spread in communities, we think you’re going to see many more people coming out to the games, delighted by the sheer fun of cricket. Isn’t that what sports should be about?”