Comet Cricket Club Wins National College Championship

The University of Texas at Dallas’ Comet Cricket Club won the National College Cricket Association championship, beating the University of Florida in the final match by 40 runs on March 23 in Houston.

Overall, 32 colleges and universities participated in the tournament, in which UTD finished undefeated.

“We were quite confident on winning the cup this time,” said business analytics graduate student Sathvik Reddy Bellamkonda, club president. “UTD has become a competitive club that plays in most of the major college cricket leagues around.”

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations sponsored the club in this year’s tournament as an investment in the international students who play the game, said Kyle Edgington PhD’13, vice president for development and alumni relations. Cricket is the most popular sport in India, as well as in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

“UT Dallas has one of the largest, if not the largest, Indian student associations in the country. They’re very active and do a lot of events,” he said. “And the alumni tend to want to stay involved after they graduate.

“Anything we can do to help bring a little bit of their favorite pastime and their culture to support a large contingent of students on our campus is an easy decision.”

Cricket isn’t new to UT Dallas. The club has been around in different iterations for years, and last year UTD hosted the National Cricket League USA’s inaugural Sixty Strikes Tournament.

Although it’s not officially part of University Recreation’s club sports program, the Comet Cricket Club is popular among students and alumni, with hundreds of members, Bellamkonda said. The club, which plays tournaments year-round, holds meetings and practices at various sites off campus. Many of the players juggle academics, part-time jobs and other commitments, yet still make time to attend late-night practices.

“Their dedication is a huge part of what makes this team special,” Bellamkonda said.

Business analytics graduate student and club captain Firasuddin Syed said the cricket club is not only an avenue to play and keep growing in the sport he loves, but it’s also a way for students to make new friends.

“The club has been a great help in making those meaningful connections,” he said. “Each and every tournament that we play, each and every event that happens, we just try to expand our community, and we hope for the best recognition that we can get.”