As you peruse the sporting activities scattered around the school, you would see sports spanning from basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, track, and cross country. However, a sport that has long been a global phenomenon has found its place on campus: cricket. Spearheaded by senior Abhiram Jyosyula, CVHS’s cricket team hopes to attract new and veteran players.
The team is joining the newly created Youth Cricket Premier League and will face off against high schools such as Cinco Ranch, Cy-Woods, Seven Lakes, Katy, and many others around the greater Houston area. The league is composed of high school club teams whose games will take place during the weekends.
Jyosyula started the team out of a deep-seated love for the sport that led to a rekindling of his interest.
“I’ve been playing cricket since I was 9, and even though I took a break, I recently picked it up again,” Jyosyula said.
His passion, combined with the growing interest among students of South Asian descent, inspired him to bring cricket to CVHS.
“There’s been a lot of interest [in cricket] following major sporting events such as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup that happened this past October,” Jyosyula explained. “I wanted to create a space where students could play and celebrate the sport.”
Forming the team wasn’t without its challenges. While the school administration was supportive, Jyosyula credits assistant test coordinator Quan Ngo for helping with club paperwork and finding a club sponsor. However, recruiting players required some creativity.
“I went around and begged all the people I could find to join,” Jyosyula joked.
With enough effort, Jyosyula stitched together a 13-person roster of experienced players and newcomers.
“Half the team has [cricket] experience, and half of the team are people who are still learning the sport,” Jyosyula remarked. “Everyone has a passion and interest [in the sport] that we want to see.”
Assigning roles to the players came quickly for those with experience in the sport.
“We have Anderson Kumar and Ruhan Ali, who played wicketkeeper for their club. So I made a decision and said, ‘Ruhan, you’ll be the wicketkeeper; Anderson, you’ll bowl,'” Jyosyula reflected.
According to Jyosyula, the focus is clear for those new to the sport: “refining [each player’s] raw ability and helping them grow.”
Starting a new team from scratch hasn’t been easy. From securing equipment to finding practice space, Jyosyula has taken on much of the responsibility himself.
“I’ve bought most of the equipment out of [my own] pocket, and we’ve made deals with the baseball team to use their fields when they’re not practicing,” Jyosyula said.
Despite the hurdles, the team has held eight practices, building camaraderie and honing their skills.
The team played their season opener on Feb. 23 against Seven Lakes High School. Although they fought hard, the team fell short, losing the match. Seven Lakes set a firm target, scoring 171 runs for the loss of six wickets in their innings. CVHS struggled to keep up and was bowled out for 58 runs.
However, the team has pushed on, preparing for their next game during spring break with the date yet to be scheduled. Going forward, Jyosyula has a clear goal in mind.
“Short-term, we just want to win a game this year,” he said with a laugh. “Long-term, I hope we can win the league.”
Beyond wins and losses, he hopes the team has a lasting legacy at CVHS.
“Hopefully, the juniors on the team keep this going, so cricket becomes one of the foremost sports [at CVHS],” Jyosyula said.
