Context
Cricket is one of the most celebrated sports globally, with deep cultural roots in South Asia and the Caribbean.
This thesis project explores how design can bridge that gap, making casual cricket more spontaneous, social, and inclusive for immigrant communities across America.
The Challenge
Limited Access to Venues
Only a handful of indoor cricket facilities exist nationwide.
Difficulty Finding Players
Most rely on word of mouth or scattered WhatsApp groups.
No On-Demand Options
Unlike soccer or basketball, cricket has no systems for spontaneous play.
High Barriers in Existing Platforms
Apps such as CricClubs focus on semi-pro leagues, excluding casual players
Problem Statement
How might we reduce the time and effort it takes for immigrants from cricketing nations to discover players and places to play cricket in U.S. cities?
Research
Target Users: International students and working professionals from cricketing countries.
Methods: 12 semi-structured interviews, secondary research, and synthesis workshops.
Affinity Map
User Segments
Notable quotes
Through my research and competitive analysis, I identified the main ways people can currently play cricket in the U.S.
Local Leagues
Time
Cost
Find Players
Find Venues
Find Equipment
Find a team that'll let you play
Pay the season fee
Buy your own Cricket Kit (~$250)
Commute to the faraway venue
Indoor Venues
Time
Cost
Find Players
Find Venues
Find Equipment
Find one of only four available across the U.S.
Find your own players for the game
Reserve the venue at least 2 weeks in advance
Self-organize a game
Time
Cost
Find Players
Find Venues
Find Equipment
Purchase the equipment
Find players yourself
Find and reserve a venue to play
Handle the game logistics
Manage schedules
Own the risk
Synthesis
From affinity mapping and journey maps, three pain clusters emerged:
Accessibility Gap: Long commutes and limited grounds.
Coordination Gap: Reliance on informal word of mouth.
Time Gap: Players with full-time jobs or studies could not commit to structured leagues.
The Solution
A mobile-first platform designed for pickup cricket.
Quick Matchmaking: Join or host casual games instantly.
Venue Finder: Map of nearby cricket-friendly grounds, including baseball field conversions.
Host Games: Host the game for cheaper costs!
Pick-up Cricket at Soccer Venues
Pick-up Cricket: A smaller, faster version of the game, adapted to fit soccer grounds and make casual play easy.
Fairness through Karma Points
Subtle gamification discourages bad behavior while rewarding reliability, a proven approach used successfully by Reddit, and Duolingo.
Benefits
Lower Prices
Better Discounts
Lower Cancellation Fee
Gain Karma Points
Book Venues
Host Games
Play Games
Provide Reviews
Result of Bad Karma
Higher overall prices
Less Discounts
High Cancellation Charges
Penalties for mis-demeanor
Usability Testing
Conducted with 5 participants across 4 cities.
95% could discover nearby venues and players within 3 clicks.
Net Promoter Score: +80, participants said the solution “finally felt made for them.”
Post Testing Changes
Before
After
User testing revealed high errors and confusion in the “Book a Venue” task, making it a major friction point despite its importance in the flow.
MVP prototype
Using a WhatsApp MVP, a host coordinated equipment, venue, and players in Philadelphia. Polls set the schedule, and strong turnout led to three spirited, inclusive matches that exceeded expectations.
17
People showed up
3
Matches played in Total
33
People on Whatsapp Group
Contacting Soccer Venues
I emailed 15 indoor soccer venue owners, proposing a casual cricket booking. I assured them we’d handle equipment/setup and asked about availability to test their openness to alternative sports.
15
Venues Contacted
as of Aug 2025
13
Agreed to allow
Cricket
Denied Request
I integrated a waitlist plugin in Framer linked to Getwaitlist.com for a 72-hour test campaign, promoted via social platforms. The goal was to gauge interest and collect emails.
99
Visitors
20
Sign-ups
72h
Active
Outcome
A validated concept with strong user interest, clear market potential, and the capacity to make cricket casual and accessible in the U.S., similar to how it thrives back home.
Landing Page - 72 hours
For The MVP Game
NPS: 80
Usability Testing
95%
Task Completion Rate
Business Impact
Market Potential: With 268,923 Indian students in the U.S. during 2022–23, even a 5% adoption rate means about 13,000 active users
Revenue Streams: Premium game bookings, local sponsorships, and partnerships with sports retailers.
Reflection
Designing Cricket in the States was more than solving a usability problem. It was about addressing identity, belonging, and cultural continuity. For South Asian immigrants, cricket is not just a game, it is a piece of home. Creating a system that makes it accessible in America is a step toward inclusion and community.
This is just one story. See what else I’ve designed
There’s a lot more where that came from. Browse through my other projects to see how I tackle problems, experiment with ideas, and create meaningful experiences.
