Cricket World Cup links fans to home

Neil Mohindra and Anna Lalani had 30 minutes to celebrate Valentine's Day.

The couple, in their early 20s, donned their nicest clothes and perched across from each other in a booth at a local sushi restaurant. After two years of dating, both Mohindra and Lalani knew something bigger was in store for the night: the Cricket World Cup.

At 9 p.m., Mohindra unbuttoned his dress shirt to reveal the blue India jersey he had worn underneath. Lalani pulled on a green Pakistan jersey with a half moon and star emblazoned on the front and a pair of green socks. They were a couple divided, cheering for rival teams during one of the biggest athletic competitions in the world.

"This isn't just a sports game," said Mohindra, a Rush University student from Naperville. "It's political pride. Whoever walks out of that stadium a winner gets to stand a little taller. I was born in India, a country filled with passion for cricket. It gets in your blood."

The Cricket World Cup is one of the most widely watched international sports tournaments in the world. According to the International Cricket Council, more than a billion people were expected to tune in to watch India play Pakistan. In comparison, about 114.4 million people watched Super Bowl XLIX.

"The world loves cricket," said Faizan Seedat, 25, of Glendale Heights. Seedat is a Pakistan fan. "Both countries have a strong pride for their cricket teams. The fact that the game happened on Valentine's Day added more ambience to the love-hate relationship between Pakistanis and Indians."

Cricket is more than a sport for Chicagoans of Pakistani and Indian descent. It's a vital part of identity and a link to home countries and cultures. Mohindra, who grew up in New Delhi, said both countries are paralyzed during big cricket games. Offices and schools shut down, and people cluster around TVs to cheer on their respective teams.

The game in Adelaide, Australia, on Saturday night was the sixth time that India, the defending World Cup champion, defeated Pakistan.

"There's not a soul that doesn't watch an India versus Pakistan game in either country," said Fatir Khan, 22, of Orland Park. Khan grew up in Kirachi, Pakistan, and cheers for that country's team. "We try to imitate that here. I'm doing the exact same things my cousins are doing right now in Pakistan. Even if you don't watch cricket, you know what this game means."

Originally a British game, cricket gained popularity in the Caribbean, Asia, New Zealand and Australia following colonization. The bat-and-ball sport is similar to baseball in that each team of 11 players takes turns batting to score runs while the other team fields. The game is played on a giant oval field with a rectangular pitch in the middle.

Read the original here:
Cricket World Cup links fans to home