CHASKA, Minn. — Driving past McKnight Park on a warm summer evening, you can almost always see their playing fields being occupied by the local soccer clubs, and for good reason. Soccer is an international sport of juggernaut proportions. It’s easily the most popular and widely played sport in the world. But can you guess the second most popular? If you thought American football, you’re only seven spots off. Baseball? Basketball? You’re getting closer. The second most popular sport in the world–set to make its debut in McKnight Park the first week of June–is cricket.

The first recorded cricket match was played in 1646. Its longest game lasted nine days! The Cricket World Cup regularly draws in over 200 million viewers, and cricket dominates the charts in many countries, like India, Pakistan, Australia, and other former British colonies. Cricket games have two teams of eleven players looking to score the most runs. It’s most similar to baseball, though there are many notable differences that have caused cricket to remain popular in Europe but less so in North America, where baseball is incredibly popular.

The brand-new Chaska Cricket Club is a non-profit organization established in the year 2021, and it is dedicated to the promotion of the sport of cricket among young people across the city of Chaska and the state of Minnesota. They do this by partnering with the City of Chaska and fostering the development of community youth cricket programs. According to co-founder Anoop Kumar, Adults who want to participate recreationally can contact Chaska Cricket Club via facebook or the community center website. CCC will try and arrange a designated slot to accommodate people who want to play. They are already working with the city and have secured a permit for a certain number of slots per week.

Interested in getting your child involved in a new and exciting sport? Kids aged 7-14 can sign up for the youth coaching program via the community center website. The club is also creating a 12-week free coaching program, the details of which will be released shortly. Anoop is optimistic about the interest in the sport, “If there is enough interest in the adults wanting to learn the sport, we can explore a different program for them too.” He reflects on his beginnings in the sport, “I’ve played cricket for most of my life (at least 20 years now), and I got started through community programs like this one, and later went on to play for my school and university. Cricket has a very broad appeal, I honestly cannot think of any specific groups that won’t love the sport.”

For more information, you can visit the Chaska Community Center website or check out the Chaska Cricket Club on Facebook and send them a PM with any questions or concerns.

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