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Cricket at ASU is giving students a way to connect with new people through a sport that many grew up playing.
It is an opportunity for international students who play cricket to come together. Jeevan Pranav, a graduate student studying user experience, said he was able to find a group of people from different countries, which was a good experience for him and made him feel safe.
Pranav and Pavan Venkata Manjunath Mallipudi, a second-year student studying computer science, began their participation in the cricket tournament on the Polytechnic campus, where they learned to play a game that emphasized teamwork.
“It’s a hobby for me; I meet a lot of different people,” Pranav said. “I get to know the ins and outs of what cricket is, I socialize with people and understand their part in the game, and it’s a good game. For me, it’s a team game.”
The Cricket Club welcomes new students and players to the sport to play for their organisation, allowing students to share current players’ passion for the sport.
“We like to get to know who is new to cricket and teach them how to play the game so that they also know more about it,” Pranav said.
Mallipudi sees his participation in sport as an opportunity to exercise his ability to work as a team and practice his leadership skills.
“It has helped me a lot in terms of working with the team and then knowing my strengths and weaknesses as a member of the team and as captain of the team,” Mallipudi said.
The club played its first tournament at the Polytechnic campus on February 16. The tournament combined Cricket at ASU, the Center for International Students and Academics and the Sun Devil Fitness Center to host a day-long event where students from all campuses will play in groups.
“They were all amazing throughout the collaboration period, and we had a great time hosting this event,” said Shaurya Manglik, USG Polytechnic president and sophomore robotics major. “We’re doing a great job. It’s a great success, so I’m very happy about that.”
Additionally, cricket is present in many members’ childhoods, sparking their inspiration from watching it on television and seeing the role models they aspired to be when they grew up.
“It’s a social life because our entire childhood has been related to cricket, from watching TV to playing on the field as well as talking to your mates remotely somewhere,” Pranav said. “We like to try to enjoy cricket. That’s how it’s part of our life.”
Viraj Pramod Jadhav, a sophomore computer science student and vice president of the ASU Cricket Club, traces his passion for cricket to MS Dhoni, a famous Indian cricketer, stated that she was a role model for him. Cricket also gives you relief from other life stressors.
“I usually enjoy playing cricket because that’s when I don’t worry about my homework,” Pramod Jadhav said. “All the other things that keep me consumed.”
Jadhav said he chose the vice presidency because he loves organizing events and believes it helped him find on-campus jobs and opportunities that he was able to network and find through cricket.
Cricket at ASU differs from intramural sports in that it schedules matches on weekends from 3 to 11 pm, beginning in January and ending in April during the second semester. The club serves about 300 people.
The club changes squads every semester, so players will have to socialize with their teammates throughout the year, giving them opportunities to network. The final of the second semester is scheduled for April 20 from 6 to 11 p.m.
“People look at it as an opportunity to make new friends and also find jobs and internships because cricket is a big thing in Arizona, not just at ASU,” Jadhav said. “So outside, when people go to play, they’re older people who are working somewhere and you can talk to them about internships. So this is a great opportunity to socialize for all the students.”
Edited by Katrina Michalak, Walker Smith, and Shane Brennan
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