"Never thought would be playing in the States": Virat Kohli talks about development of cricket in America

New Delhi [India], May 31 (ANI): India's stalwart batter Virat Kohli opened up about the growing impact of cricket in the United States, as they are set to co-host the upcoming T20 World Cup with the West Indies.
Cricket has been on the rise in the USA over the past couple of years. The Major League Cricket (MLC) has played a crucial hand in the growth of cricket in the country.
Recently MLC became the second Associate Franchise Tournament after the United Arab Emirates' International League T20 to acquire List A status from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The fever of cricket has seen an influx of interest in the USA as the T20 World Cup is just on the verge of commencing.
Ahead of the tournament, while talking about the sport's growth in the USA, Kohli stated he never expected to play any cricket format in the USA.
"Honestly, I never thought that we would be playing cricket in any form in the States. But now it's a reality. That tells you about the growing impact of the sport in the world. The United States is more than willing to accept the change and be probably the first one on a global scale to accept it in a way with the World Cup, which is I think it's a great start. It's the ideal way to begin. So I think it's going to have a huge impact," Kohli said in a video posted by the U.S. Consulate Mumbai on X.

#DYK, the upcoming T20 World Cup is the first major cricket tournament in the United States? Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli talks about why this is a historical moment for the sport, and his aspirations for its growing impact in the United States and across the world.… pic.twitter.com/KlzWmLYbbn

— U.S. Consulate Mumbai (@USAndMumbai) May 31, 2024

MLC's debut season in 2023 transformed the landscape of American cricket, bringing world-class domestic T20 action to the United States for the first time with most of the matches played in front of sold-out crowds in Texas and North Carolina.
After a successful end of the inaugural season of MLC, the second season will feature top stars from the cricket giants.
Kohli talked about the influence of MLC and its potential in developing interest in cricket among the fans and added, "In starting off a kind of a domino effect and I hope that it carries on for a long period of time. We have enough people as I said from our regions to keep the game up and alive in the States and make the others more aware about what it feels like to play cricket and watch cricket. I think it's got great potential with the MLC as well. There's already franchise cricket happening there. So I think it's moving in the right direction."
Washington Freedom will be Australian-stacked in the upcoming season. Top players like Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, and coach Ricky Ponting will feature for the franchise.
The San Francisco Unicorns will be bolstered by hard-hitting opening New Zealand batter Finn Allen. (ANI)