In 2005, Colgate University witnessed the birth of the Colgate cricket club, an initiative by alumni Christopher Burns ’05 and Anand Kapur ’07 that introduced the international sport of cricket to Colgate’s campus. However, it was not until 2023 that the club saw a significant revival, thanks to the efforts of juniors Shayan Bhatti and Pahul Sachdeva, who breathed new life and energy into the club.
The sport of cricket, which is popular in many countries such as India, Pakistan, South Africa and Australia, is similar to baseball because they both involve a bat and ball. There are a few key differences, however, including the shape of the field, equipment used, number of players and format of the game.
Junior Ahmed Ayub Khan, who serves as vice captain of the club, explained the overall rules and objective of the sport.
“The rough idea is one team bowls while the other bats. The batting team tries to score as many points, called runs, as they can in a given number of bowls and across the 11 players. Then the bowling team comes to bat and tries to chase the run target set,” Khan said.
Junior Shayan Bhatti, team captain and club president, hails from Lahore, Pakistan. With over 14 years of competitive cricket under his belt, Bhatti brings an exceptional level of skill and dedication to the game. His contributions have been instrumental, as he helped Colgate acquire one of the U.S.’s first BOLA Cricket Bowling Machines directly from the Lords Cricket Grounds in London, a tool used by professional cricketers worldwide to refine their batting skills.
Before coming to Colgate, junior Pahul Sachdeva, from New Delhi, India, didn’t have much experience with cricket, as she had never played or watched a match. However, she met Bhatti and Ayub Khan as well as sophomore Shafaat Mahmud and first-year Aizaz Faisal, who all sparked her interest in the sport.
“Their enthusiasm and passion for the sport were contagious, inspiring me to immerse myself in the world of cricket alongside them,” Sachdeva said. “It wasn’t just the excitement of the sport that drew me in, but also the shared experiences and the sense of community it fostered among us. Cricket, a game I once knew nothing about, had unexpectedly become a significant part of my life, connecting me with friends who shared a piece of their culture with me. This journey into the heart of cricket has been an unexpected yet profoundly enriching experience.”
Like Sachdeva, many team members did not play cricket before coming to Colgate, so members love watching their teammates progress. Khan elaborated on how despite not having much prior experience, the team has been able to compete on a high level against other schools.
“My favorite thing about the cricket club is that even though we didn’t start strong at all, we have trained a number of new people in cricket, and have thus competed on an equal level with some of the best schools around us,” Khan said. “We just beat the University of Rochester for the first time a few days ago. There are no skill requirements for joining the club and we love playing with newcomers; they have all been picking up the sport really fast, which is a pleasure to watch.”
While Sachdeva didn’t originally play cricket, the club is now a very big part of her life, as she serves as the social media and outreach chair and team manager of the cricket club while also leading the South Asian Cultural Club (SACC) and the Colgate International Community (CIC) as president. Her efforts in collaboration and outreach have been pivotal, working with universities such as the University of Rochester, Vassar College and Cornell University. Currently, she is in the process of scheduling an away game against Harvard University this month, a testament to her commitment to enhancing the club’s visibility and competitive edge.
Sachdeva cited the connections formed among members as her favorite part of the Colgate cricket club.
“Every Friday and Sunday, Colgate’s minority POC [people of color] and allies come together at Sanford Field House to create a home away from home,” Sachdeva said. “This sense of community and inclusion is what makes the cricket club more than just a sports team; it’s a space where students, staff and faculty come together, sharing a common love for the game.”
Bhatti agreed that the cricket team is a family and also highlighted that it is this community and network of supporters that provide the backbone for the club’s spirit and enthusiasm, which is his most treasured aspect of the club.
The vision shared by Bhatti and Sachdeva is not just about winning games or enhancing skills, it’s about elevating Colgate University to a nationally recognized cricketing college within the National College Cricket Association (NCCA). With the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup (an international biennial cricket tournament) and the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan match being hosted in New York City, there’s no better time to raise awareness and enthusiasm for cricket at Colgate.
The Colgate cricket club’s resurgence under the leadership of Bhatti and Sachdeva is a story of passion, international collaboration and the power of sports to unify diverse communities. It stands as a beacon for how student-led initiatives can create meaningful change and foster a sense of belonging, transcending cultural and geographic boundaries. As the club continues to grow and achieve its ambitious goals, it undoubtedly sets a high standard for sports clubs across campuses in the U.S., proving that cricket is more than just a game — it’s a global language that speaks to the heart of the Colgate spirit.
