08 July,2023 10:41 PM IST | Mumbai | Karan Shankar
Lone Star Athletics head coach Vijay Patel
Former Gujarat head coach and newly appointed chief of Texas-based franchise cricket team Lone Star Athletics, Vijay Patel, insists cricket is gaining popularity very quickly in the USA and competition is also improving steadily.
Lone Star Athletics will be competing in USA's professional T20 tournament Minor League Cricket (MiLC), consisting of 26 teams. The tournament will be played in various cities across the USA from August 4 to September 18.
Patel, who has over 17 years of experience in coaching with all age groups and at all levels, and having travelled to the USA multiple times, was quick to assess that the large demographic of Asians in the USA are driving the popularity of the sport and creating a nation-wide interest too. "Cricket is very popular here in America. There are a lot of Asians here, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and they're all playing very well. Even Americans are taking interest in the game. There are lots of small leagues throughout the country just like this one [MiLC], which also helps," Patel said.
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He also thinks competition in the MiLC has been promising, including his team, who he thinks have a strong chance this season. "Competition here is very good. After the first year of this tournament [2021], all teams have come up in quality. We have a great group of players like Shayan Jahangir, Milind Kumar and Shubham Ranjane. I am happy with this team."
Patel boasts a successful coaching career with Gujarat for over a decade. His achievements include guiding Gujarat to their first Ranji Trophy title in 2017, winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy twice (2013 and 2015) and the Vijay Hazare ODI Trophy in 2016.
Patel wanted a new challenge for himself, and hence, switched base to the USA to helm Lone Star Athletics. "I met the owners last year. I attended a couple of their practice sessions. They offered me the role of head coach. I wanted a new challenge, so I thought let's give it a try and see how it goes," Patel concluded.
