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UT Dallas cricket club wins back-to-back national titles
The Comet cricket club emerged victorious in a thrilling final that went down to the final ball.
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Staff Reporter - Thu, 16, Apr 2026
- 17:26 EDT
- 24
The Comet Cricket Club celebrated after winning the National College Cricket Association championship on March 22 at the Prairie View Cricket Complex near Houston. / UT Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas’ Comet Cricket Club clinched their second consecutive National College Cricket Association championship title last month.
The team won by defeating Northeastern University by just two runs in a nail-biting final at the Prairie View Cricket Complex near Houston on March 22. The victory capped an undefeated run for the University of Texas at Dallas team in the 16-team tournament, much like last year, when the club also remained unbeaten and defeated the University of Florida in the final.
Also Read: UT Dallas cricket club wins national college championship
According to a news release by the university, the team faced significant changes this year and had only five players continuing from last year due to graduations. Captain and a business analytics and artificial intelligence graduate student, Firasuddin Syed, said, “We had a whole new group of players, including three freshmen, who were very enthusiastic. The younger players are definitely uplifting. There’s never a shortage of energy.”
Syaed also told university press that the final proved to be a tense contest, going down to the last delivery. “We really had to fight to the very last ball,” added Syed, who was named best batsman of the championship.
University leadership also praised the achievement. Rafael Martín, vice president for administration and chief of operations, said the win reflects the balance between academic and extracurricular excellence. “The Comet Cricket Club capturing its second national championship demonstrates that success in the classroom and success in extracurricular endeavors are highly correlated. We could not be prouder of this team and their achievement," he said.
While not part of the university’s official club sports program, the cricket club has built a strong following among students and alumni, reflecting the growing popularity of the sport among the South Asian diaspora in the United States.
Along with Syed, who played for the Dallas Xforia Giants, other team members aiming to transition into higher levels of the game. Teammates Ansh Bhoje and Rishi Ramesh have also featured in Minor League Cricket, representing the MetroPlex Tracers and Baltimore Royals, respectively.
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