These families made a league of their own, but it's not baseball.

MARION — When Yuva Raju grew up playing cricket near Chennai in southern India, it was with more rudimentary means than his children have today.

Using sticks from coconut trees, players would carve a bat on the spot and find some sort of ball to hit with it. With no infrastructure needed, kids could play a pickup game any time they wanted.

Whether it was morning, afternoon or a holiday, cricket was the game to play.

“You just need a bat and ball to play,” Raju said. “It brings a lot of friends together.”

Today, he and parents of about 90 other kids gather in Marion every week through the summer to watch their children play the sport they reveled in decades ago. This time, the next generation has slightly better equipment.

How it started

For many parents who helped start the league for kids ages 8 to 15, it sprouted from the childhood passion they kept as adults.

James Samraj, whose family has been in Iowa since 2010, started playing in various leagues with players from across the Corridor, including his colleagues at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. Eventually, his children took note of the hardware displayed at home.

“I think they see my trophies and consider that an inspiration to play,” Samraj said. “It’s a sport that builds a lot of team spirit.”

His daughter Jovana, 12, and son Joshua, 10, have both played cricket as a result. Joshua, an active child, also enjoys soccer.

Bala Dharmalingam’s children noticed when he played games in the basement or watched them on TV. Eventually, they wanted to play games of their own.

After introducing his children to tennis, badminton and pickleball, Raju thought “why not cricket as well?”

But while there are established youth and school leagues for soccer, baseball, football and more, the parents didn’t see any cricket leagues their kids could play in. Other states with larger communities like Texas, California and New York have cricket academies, but Iowa has little official presence.

So, they made a league of their own. Now in their third season since starting in 2022, the number of players has grown each year as children tell their friends — including those not in the Indian American community around the Corridor.

“Here, we have to do it as a community,” Raju said. “We feel cricket comes naturally to our community.”

With four teams, kids practice and match off weekly through July and August. This year’s finale concludes on Sept. 1.

What is cricket?

The bat-and-ball game is described by enthusiasts as a more complicated and strategic version of baseball.

With an oblong oval field and a line down the middle, wooden wicket posts stand at the end.

With two teams of 11 players each, batters take aim at balls pitched by a bowler. The batting team tries to score runs for each exchange, while the bowler tries to strike them out or hit their wicket.

Unlike in baseball, batters who hit the ball do not have to run to a base — there’s more strategy involved in the decision.

“In cricket, you decide when to run,” Raju said.

The fielding team can also dismiss batters by catching the ball in the air after it has been hit.

“It’s not that difficult to learn,” said Dharmalingam. “We’re really impressed they’re learning so quickly. Even though (some players) don’t know anything, within a few weeks they’re much better.”

Innings end when 10 batters have been dismissed. Each team’s goal is to score more runs than the other team.

With different rules that encourage players to hone their judgment, communication with other players and strategic planning, it’s a game that translates to life skills off the field.

“It’s a less intensive sport, but at the same time, you can enjoy it (more,)” Raju said. “This kind of decision making will help them in their lives as well.”

Why it matters

With the same level of popularity that football has in the United States, India’s love for cricket is unparalleled by any other country. One report indicates that the sport accounted for 85 percent of all sports spending in the country.

“Probably 75 percent of the kids (in India) play cricket. I’m one of them,” Samraj said. “That’s a major sport.”

While many aren’t quite sure what catapulted it to become India’s favorite pastime, he remembers its popularity growing exponentially after India won the Cricket World Cup in 1983.

“We were the underdogs going there, then we excelled and we got it. That triggered everybody,” Samraj said. “They said ‘OK, we won the World Cup,’ so everybody started liking it.”

Today, the sport has grown more intense, with franchises similar in viewership and power to the NFL.

Samraj has encouraged his children to get involved in other team sports, too. But halfway around the world from where he grew up, seeing his children play cricket brings a new sense of pride.

“It’s made me happy to watch them, playing the sport that I loved,” the parent and coach said. “If they know cricket, it’s going to help them with their community and friends.”

The Junior Cricket League hopes to add two to four more teams next year. But, by building its sheer popularity, they also hope to grow the sport into opportunities at schools and in other communities around the state.

While cricket still is gaining popularity in America, they see a future for talented young players if they can build the right network to cultivate growth.

“It’s a good opportunity for Iowa kids to excel in this sport,” Dharmalingam said. “If people can keep playing, it can help propel kids to the next level.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.