Ashburn resident Sumit Daryani grew up loving the sport of cricket.
He was 10 when he first took the “pitch” in his native Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. He eventually played for his high school team as a right arm fast bowler, and his passion only intensified. He idolized Kapil Dev, a cricket legend who helped India to its first World Cup in 1983.
“I like the entertainment of the sport,” said Daryani, who now lives in the Village of Waxpool neighborhood. “It can get suspenseful – you often don’t know who’s going to win until the last minute.”
If that’s the case, then there must be a lot of suspense in Ashburn and wider Loudoun County. Cricket is booming here. According to Loudoun officials, the county-sponsored cricket league had 60 teams this spring and some 1,800 players. And that’s just the adults. Youth cricket is growing, too.
The interest and demand has been so high that Loudoun’s new Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park near Ashburn includes the county’s first dedicated cricket pitch.
To read all about the rise of cricket in the region and why the sport captures the hearts and minds of so many, head over to the Ashburn Magazine website here.
(Image at top: Astri Wee Photography)