The roar of the crowd, the crack of the bat, and the vibrant atmosphere of a sports stadium came alive again at the Oakland Coliseum, but this time, not for baseball. Major League Cricket (MLC) has transformed the once-abandoned venue into a pulsing hub of international sporting excitement.

Tech entrepreneurs from the Bay Area’s South Asian diaspora are driving this sporting revolution, bringing their passion and investment to a sport that’s captivated millions worldwide. The San Francisco Unicorns, owned by Silicon Valley veterans Venky Harinarayan and Anand Rajaraman, made history by becoming the first team to call the Coliseum home.

The league represents more than just a sporting event; it’s a cultural celebration. Indian food trucks serving dosas and biryani, fans wearing horned bucket hats, and waves of scarves creating a festive environment showcase the rich cultural tapestry behind this sporting venture.

MLC’s strategic approach targets the significant South Asian population in tech hubs like the Bay Area. With team owners who’ve built billion-dollar companies and sold startups to tech giants like Amazon and Walmart, the league brings serious entrepreneurial muscle to professional cricket.

During their debut weekend, the Unicorns went undefeated, with 26-year-old New Zealand player Finn Allen breaking cricket records by scoring the most sixes in a T20 format. The stadium, which once hosted Oakland Athletics games, now rings with a new energy, international players, passionate fans, and the promise of a sport on the rise.

While current attendance averages around 5,000 per game compared to the A’s previous 11,000, league founders see this as just the beginning. They’re betting on passion, demographics, and the growing multicultural landscape of American sports.

As Harinarayan noted, they’re not just selling a theory, but a tangible, exciting sporting experience that bridges cultures and creates new community connections.