11 Indians in Canada, 9 in USA ; Oman stand highest with 14 Asian cricketers’ ! This year’s T20 WCup, the tournament is not just about rival nations but also about shared roots.

By Rahul Das ( Cricket Passionate Writer)

Look at Numbers! 11 Indians in Canada, 9 in USA; Oman stand highest with 14 Asian cricketers’ This year’s T20 WORLD CUP, the tournament is not just about rival nations but also about shared roots.

A striking feature of this World Cup is the strong presence of players of Asian origin representing countries outside Asia. Fans will see many familiar names playing in different jerseys, adding a unique global flavour to the event. In this World Cup, 40 players of Indian origin will be seen playing for foreign teams. Along with them, a total of 69 players connected to major Asian cricketing nations like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are representing 11 different countries.

This highlights how Asian cricket talent has spread across the world over the years. From North America to Europe and Africa, players with Asian roots are playing key roles for their adopted nations. Their presence has become a major talking point as the tournament gets underway.

Canada and the USA Lead in Asian-origin players:

Canada and the USA have the highest number of players of Asian origin in this World Cup. Together, these two North American teams include 26 Asian-origin players, of which 19 are of Indian origin.Canada’s squad has 13 Asian-origin players, including 11 players of Indian origin. A special highlight for Canada is that the team is led by Dilpreet Bajwa, making Indian-origin players central not only on the field but also in leadership.

The USA team also features 13 Asian-origin players. This includes nine players of Indian origin, such as Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh. The squad also has three players of Pakistani origin and Sri Lankan player, Shehan Jayasuriya, showing a mix of Asian backgrounds.

Strong Indian and Pakistani presence in the UAE and Oman:

The influence of Indian and Pakistani players is clearly visible in the UAE and Oman teams.The UAE squad has 12 Asian-origin players, with seven of Indian origin and five of Pakistani origin. These players form the backbone of the team in both batting and bowling.Oman stands out with 14 players of Indian and Pakistani origin, evenly split with seven from each country. Players like Jatinder Singh, Aasheet Odedera and Karan Sonawale, who trace their roots to Punjab, Gujarat and Mumbai, are now key contributors for Oman on the world stage.

Asian roots across New Zealand, England and South Africa:

New Zealand’s team features Rachin Ravindra and Ish Sodhi, both of Indian origin. Ish Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, while Rachin Ravindra’s father is from Bengaluru. Both players have become important match-winners for New Zealand.South Africa’s star spinner Keshav Maharaj is also of Indian origin. His great-grandfather arrived in Durban from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in 1874 as an indentured labourer.

England’s squad includes Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood, all of Pakistani origin. Rehan Ahmed’s father moved to England from Pakistan in 2001, highlighting the long journey of cricketing migration.

Asian identity in Italy, Scotland and Zimbabwe:

Italy’s team has six Asian-origin players, including Indian-origin Jaspreet Singh, along with three Pakistani and two Sri Lankan players. Scotland features Zainullah Ehsan of Afghan origin and Safyan Sharif of Pakistani Origin. Zimbabwe’s team also includes Pakistan-born Sikandar Raza, who has been a long-time match-winner for the side.

Asian players could from six playing XIs :

Excluding India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, the remaining 69 Asian-origin players playing for other nations are enough to form six full playing elevens.

This means that in a World Cup featuring 20 teams, nearly half the tournament’s playing XIs could be made entirely from Asian-origin players, underlining the massive global impact of Asian cricket talent.