The Dallas, US-headquartered National Cricket League has announced that Sachin Tendulkar has joined the NCL’s ownership group.
Tendulkar’s involvement is an extension of NCL’s stated mission to “make cricket a household name in the US”.
Tendulkar will arrive in Dallas this week. He will also present the championship trophy to the winning team at the NCL’s inaugural “Sixty Strikes” tournament, marking a historic moment for the sport’s rise in America.
“Cricket has been my life’s greatest journey, and I am pleased to join the National Cricket League at such an exciting time for the sport in the U.S.,” said the cricketing great. “The NCL’s vision to create a platform for world-class cricket while inspiring a new generation of fans resonates with me. I look forward to being part of this new initiative and witnessing the growth of cricket in the U.S. firsthand.”
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Sachin Tendulkar to the National Cricket League family,” said Arun Agarwal, chairman of the NCL. “His influence in cricket is comparable to Pele in soccer or Babe Ruth in baseball. Sachin’s commitment to the game, along with his global appeal, will be key as we introduce cricket to new audiences in America. His involvement highlights the NCL’s goal to inspire future generations and establish cricket as a major sport in the U.S.”
The NCL tournament, which opened October 4th with Indian rapper, musician Mika Singh and features themed nights, runs through to October 14th. This season, NCL brings together cricket legends known worldwide — Sunil Gavaskar, Zaheer Abbas, Wasim Akram, Dilip Vengsarkar, Vivian Richards, Venkatesh Prasad, Sanath Jayasuriya, Moin Khan, and Blair Franklin. The cricketing heroes will mentor and coach the next generation of players.
The league also features top-tier players from around the world, including Shahid Afridi, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Shakib Al Hasan, Robin Uthappa, Tabraiz Shamsi, Chris Lynn, Angelo Mathews, Colin Munro, Sam Billings, Mohammad Nabi, Johnson Charles.
With its partnership with Sports Illustrated and broadcasting through ESPN, Sony Max, SKY, WFAA, NDTV, Fox Sports, and the NCL Cricket app, the NCL is bringing cricket to over 2.5 billion fans worldwide. As one of the most-watched sports globally, cricket’s footprint in the U.S. is growing at a fast pace, with the NCL at the forefront.
