Photo Credit: Twitter Profile Photo of @JayShah
With the T20 Men’s World Cup ranking among the top Google Trends for 2024, International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah emphasized that expanding cricket’s reach globally is a key priority for ICC members.
India broke a 13-year ICC World Cup drought by defeating South Africa by seven runs in the T20 World Cup Final on June 29. The tournament was co-hosted by the United States and West Indies.
“Amplifying the sport of cricket to more people around the globe is one of the main priorities for the ICC members and I, so it’s encouraging to see evidence of how much interest there was globally in the @ICC @T20WorldCup this year. TopGoogleTrends2024,” Jay Shah posted on X, attaching an image of the two teams from the final and a screenshot of the Google trends.
Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match for his vital 76 runs in the final, while Jasprit Bumrah, with 15 wickets at an economy rate of 4.17, earned Player of the Tournament honors.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies saw extraordinary fan engagement, highlighting the growing interest in cricket. In the USA, over 190,000 fans attended matches, demonstrating cricket’s expanding presence in North America.
Grand Prairie, Texas, attracted over 22,000 attendees across four matches, with strong support from Nepalese and US fans, particularly during the historic upset where the USA defeated Pakistan. The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York hosted the largest crowd in USA international cricket history, with 34,028 spectators for the India vs. Pakistan match and 31,722 for India vs. USA.
The US leg concluded in Broward County, Florida, where over 4,000 fans attended a Pakistan vs. Ireland match, despite several days of rain delays. Additionally, fan parks in locations like Cedar Creek, Citi Field, and Seattle saw tens of thousands more fans engaging with the World Cup.
Digitally, the event saw massive engagement, with 2.7 million USA-based users visiting the ICC website and app, marking a 370% increase from the 2022 T20 World Cup. Of those, 52% were new fans, and time spent on the platforms doubled compared to 2022. The increase in organic search traffic (71%) further underscored the rising interest in cricket. The fan zones provided an engaging space to introduce newcomers to the sport with interactive games and immersive experiences.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
