From Campus to the Pros: Two Collegiate Cricket League Players Make History With National Cricket League Selection

College stars turn pro as cricket’s footprint grows across U.S. campuses

DALLAS, Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Cricket League (NCL) made global headlines with its notable partnership with the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), highlighted by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Last Friday, the world paused to watch Tendulkar ring the opening bell on Wall Street. With the world watching, it was more than the ceremonial start of a trading day — Cheers rippled across the trading floor — not just for the market’s open, but for the beginning of something bigger.

In that moment, cricket officially stepped into the American spotlight. With millions watching around the globe, the National Cricket League’s rise has transformed what was once a distant dream into a tangible reality: a new generation of players now see cricket not just as heritage, but as a professional path on U.S. soil. That dream takes another step forward this week, as two standout players from The Collegiate Cricket League® (CCL),— Mayank Gangwar of the University of Florida and Trinabh Khera Sahni of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) — are set to make their professional debuts at the NCL Sixty Strikes Tournament in Dallas, Texas.

Their selection reflects the growing depth of American cricket talent but also the CCL’s ambitious vision: to give college athletes the opportunity to one day follow in the footsteps of legends like Sachin Tendulkar and bring the spirit of world-class cricket to American soil.

Mayank Gangwar, a 6’1” all-rounder and the 2025 Collegiate Cricket League National Player of the Year, led the National Champion Florida Gators to victory with stellar consistency throughout the season. Gangwar scored 253 runs in seven matches with a strike rate of 188.81 and an average of 50.60, including three half-centuries. He also finished as the tournament’s best batsman, joint highest wicket-taker, and Player of the Tournament.

“I’m truly honored to make it to the National Cricket League (NCL),” said Gangwar. “I want to sincerely thank the Collegiate Cricket League (CCL) for organizing such a professional league and providing a platform for college students to make it to professional level cricket. Playing in the CCL has given me the opportunity to compete with some of the nation’s best players, showcase my skills, and pursue my passion to take the next step toward professional cricket. This experience has been invaluable, and I’m excited to carry it forward at the NCL.” Gangwar’s standout performances have earned him a professional contract with the Chicago Cricket Club.

Trinabh Khera Sahni, standing 5’11” and 160 lbs, is a right-handed batting all-rounder and right-arm medium pacer who was born in New Delhi and raised in Singapore, where he was part of the Singapore U19 National Team setup before moving to Los Angeles. Now serving as Captain and President of UCLA Cricket, Trinabh has become a driving force behind the growth of West Coast cricket. At the CCL National Championship, he scored 221 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 227.84 and an average of 55.25, including two half-centuries.

“I’m extremely grateful for the CCL and what it’s meant for my own journey in cricket,” said Sahni. “Playing in this league has given me the chance to compete at a professional level, meet incredible players, and see firsthand how fast the game is growing across the country.” His defining moment came when he led UCLA with only nine players on the field during the championship, delivering a gutsy performance that caught the attention of NCL scouts. Sahni has been signed by the Houston Generals Cricket Club.

“We’re thrilled to see players like Mayank Gangwar, a graduate student, and Trinabh Khera Sahni, an undergraduate, make the leap to the professional ranks,” said CCL Executive Director Steven Smith. “This is exactly what the Collegiate Cricket League was designed to do—identify, develop, and prepare the next generation of professional cricketers in America and for the world. We see a massive opportunity with this model to grow the game—not only by giving players a second chance to compete as graduate students but also by welcoming crossover talent, especially from baseball. There are nearly 500 million baseball fans worldwide compared to over 2.6 billion cricket fans, and the global market forces alone make this a compelling pathway for American athletes. By allowing graduate students to return to school and compete, we’re opening the door for former college or even professional athletes in another sport to rediscover competition and transform their careers through cricket. This isn’t just about expanding the game—it’s about expanding opportunity.”

The Collegiate Cricket League has rapidly become the heartbeat of American cricket’s future—bridging college athletics with the professional stage and inspiring a new generation of players to dream bigger. The league’s historic inaugural National Championship in April 2025 generated more than 25 million social impressions and international media coverage from Sports Illustrated, Dream11, Fancode, Yahoo, NDTV, and the NCL Cricket App, reaching over one million viewers worldwide.

About CCL:
The Collegiate Cricket League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to elevating cricket at American colleges and universities by unlocking scholarships, varsity recognition, and investments in cricket infrastructure—solidifying its role as the premier pathway for the future of the sport. To support the Collegiate Cricket League’s mission or to help strengthen your university’s cricket program as an alum, please contact us at info@collegiatecricket.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e962f14-d8b7-4e24-b687-9d5d8ee54671

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