The T20 World Cup 2024 kicked off with a match held in Nassau County on Long Island. South Africa emerged victorious over Sri Lanka by six wickets in this historic event. Thousands of fans turned out to witness the match, with people from all over the world flying in to attend this premier sporting event.
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in East Meadow saw huge crowds lining up to enter the temporary 34,000-seat stadium that was erected in just four months. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman expressed excitement about hosting such a significant event and welcoming fans from around the globe.
The match schedule on Long Island included several exciting games, with teams like India, Ireland, Canada, and Pakistan set to compete. Cricket, being the second most-viewed sport in the world after soccer, has a growing presence in the United States. Despite its popularity worldwide, cricket is only played by a small number of Americans across various local leagues.
Long Island’s new cricket stadium hosted its first fans for a warm-up match as part of the T20 Cricket World Cup. Major League Cricket, which launched last year in the U.S., features six professional T20 teams, including a New York franchise that plays some games at a Dallas-area stadium.Overall, the T20 World Cup 2024 on Long Island is a significant milestone for the sport of cricket in the United States.