Cricket is developing in Washington DC
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In the words of owner Sanjay Govil, a highly successful tech entrepreneur, Major League Cricket defending champions Washington Freedom have sought an 鈥渁ggressive campaign鈥 to become a visible part of the sports landscape in Maryland and beyond.
It has seemingly done the trick so far with the fledgling American T20 competition only in its third season. Freedom games have been broadcast live at certain bars in the DC area while the team have received healthy media exposure, including regular spots on National Public Radio.
Making use of being nestled in the nation鈥檚 capital, Freedom also have held major events, including with the Department of State, in efforts to build strong relations among powerbrokers and also raise the profile of cricket – by some metrics the world鈥檚 second most popular sport.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been received very well by the community and the local media,鈥 Govil told me in a phone interview.
Washington Freedom are defending MLC champions (Photo Arjun Singh / Sportzpics for MLC)
It鈥檚 promising first steps, but Govil knows a permanent home ground is needed to unlock Freedom鈥檚 potential. The unusual dimensions of an oval-shaped cricket ground, with a turf strip in the middle, makes it challenging for MLC franchises to find suitable infrastructure.
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Only Texas Super Kings have a permanent facility after repurposing a vacant baseball ground in Dallas, which has become the hub of American cricket and hosted most of the MLC games over the first two seasons.
Kick-starting this ongoing tournament with a bang, the MLC was played in the west coast for the first time with San Francisco Unicorns playing its home games at the iconic Oakland Coliseum in what is currently a one-season arrangement.
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Plans to build a cricket stadium at George Mason University were scrapped, but Freedom鈥檚 pursuit has continued with a site earmarked. Govil was tight-lipped on specific details, but there have been reports that Freedom are looking to develop in Frederick, about 45 miles north of Washington DC.
Govil said he hoped government approvals would be sorted by August and that initial plans centered on a 10,000-seat multi-purpose stadium being built in time for the 2028 season.
鈥淲e really need a cricket stadium for the D.C. area, Virginia and Maryland,鈥 Govil said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really going to grow the fan base, so they can watch us in person. There are a lot of other opportunities too.鈥
A home ground could also lure international cricket with the U.S. men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams likely to host series ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics, cementing the country as a big ticket destination beyond traditional boundaries.
鈥淭he potential is huge. The east coast is ideally suited for the Indian market, so we want to host international cricket series,鈥 Govil said.
Along with Unicorns, Freedom are outliers without Indian Premier League investment ties but do have a partnership with Cricket New South Wales. Their international footprint has expanded after Govil secured a 50 per cent stake in Welsh Fire, a professional cricket team in the Hundred competition that has a $110 million valuation.
鈥淎bsolutely going to have a partnership (between Freedom and Fire),鈥 Govil said. “We can offer players and coaches to be engaged in the U.S. and U.K. through the summer, essentially part of the same program as the synergies develop between the two.”
Glenn Maxwell is Freedom’s captain (Photo by Arjun Singh/Sportzpics for MLC)
As more cricket leagues emerge, while established ones like Australia鈥檚 Big Bash League consider privatization, Govil looms as an intriguing figure in a traditionally staid sport undergoing rapid change and an influx of cash.
He was born in Montreal before moving to India during his formative years with his parents, where he naturally developed a love for the country鈥檚 favored sport. 鈥淕rowing up in India, the love of cricket was there, and even when I moved back to the U.S. I was constantly engaged in watching and playing cricket,” he said.
Govil鈥檚 career took off when he moved to Washington D.C. and started Infinite Computer Solutions in 2001. It boasts an annual revenue of $2 billion with 20,000 employees globally while he also owns Zyter TruCare, a leading healthcare technology platform.
鈥淲ashington D.C. is obviously where I started my business. It鈥檚 been a very good place for me and it鈥檚 very multicultural,鈥 Govil said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have found a better way of giving something back to the community than the Washington Freedom.鈥
Freedom – a 鈥渦nique name that everyone stands for鈥, says Govil – are now entrenched in an underrated sports city marked by a passionate fanbase enduring plenty of heartbreak over the years by their seemingly cursed franchises.
Just recently the Wizards, whose only NBA championship was as the Bullets in 1979, had the second worst record this season only to miss out on the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes and slide to No.6 in the upcoming draft.
The Freedom鈥檚 emergence might just change the city鈥檚 sports luck. They have already brought home an elusive title having stormed to victory last season under legendary Australian Steve Smith.
Those hard-bitten local sports fans needing a tonic might just want to jump on the Freedom bandwagon.
Steve Smith captained Freedom to the title in 2024 (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) … More
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鈥淚t鈥檚 a very hungry sports market, with amazing fans who haven鈥檛 had a lot of success,” Govil said. “We have an opportunity to capture the market in the southeast of the country, which has no other teams.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to create a movement and at the same time grow a league.鈥
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