Not for nothing do they say cricket is a religion for most Indians. No matter what the differences, the sport magically unites people across the length and breadth of the country. Cricket is also the force that bonds overseas Indians.
This very force is what prompted Chanukya Rajagopala, hailing from Bengaluru, and his friend Kalyan Chukkapalli, residing in Manchester for two decades, to form a team -- Trafford Metrovics Cricket Club (TMCC) Third XI -- so that they could take their love for the game to the next level.
“You just can’t take cricket out of an Indian, can you?” asks Rajagopala in a chat with DH. “Most of us in the team had been playing leisure cricket for a decade now. It was tennis ball cricket to be precise. It then occurred to some of us that we should graduate to the next level -- leather ball cricket. But it wasn’t going to be easy, considering the logistics involved. Thankfully, it all fell in place nicely.”
Since registering a new team would involve a lot of paperwork and burn a big hole in their pockets, Rajagopala and his friend were scouting for ailing clubs which they could purchase. Noticing their interest, TMCC, where Rajagopala and his friends used to practice often, offered them the chance to become a third team last year. They just had to handle the financial aspect while TMCC would look after the registration process and other minor administrative aspects.
“When TMCC broached the subject, we instantly agreed. It made our job a whole lot easier. Since we had a group that was playing cricket constantly, forming a team wasn’t going to be difficult. We roped in 28 players, all Indians, and played our first match in the Cheshire County Cricket League this season which we won. Although most of us are in our 40s, we can’t wait to get out and play!”
TMCC 3rd XI comprises largely doctors and engineers with a few from accounting background also, like Rajagopala. There are eight players are from Karnataka and about as many from Andhra/ Telangana in the team. The remaining are from various other Indian states.
Rajagopala says the focus now is to pass on the baton to the next generation and take this journey several notches higher. “Most of our kids play age group cricket. All of us are in our 40s and it’s obvious we can’t continue for long. So we are hoping our kids and other youngsters from the Asian community join in and take the journey forward.”