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Vinit Hemant Tagarse, MS ’21, is ����AV��Ƶ’s next Olympic hopeful. Making the 2028 U.S. national team in cricket would be the capstone of a journey that started in his native India.

Tagarse’s accolades include being captain of his undergraduate college cricket team, representing the California Golden Eagles in the 2023 United States Premier League and playing for the South Zone in the USA Regional Championship. He also played for two seasons as a bowling all-rounder on the Fort Lauderdale Lions, a club on the Minor League Circuit, a professional cricket league in the U.S. providing a platform for local talent to showcase their skills and contributed to the growth of cricket in America.

“Getting selected for the Lions was incredibly special,” Tagarse says. “It felt like the sacrifices, dedication and effort I put in finally paid off. Cricket has grown significantly in the past two years in the U.S. With the right support, cricket could become one of the country’s top sports.”

Tagarse’s professional training began at age 7 in the Shivaji Park (Dadar) section of Mumbai, an area known for producing talented cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar. As a teen, Tagarse was selected for one of the city’s most prestigious clubs, and subsequently competed in a number of high-profile tournaments.

“[In my area of Mumbai], cricket is more than just a sport. It’s an integral part of the culture and deeply woven into the emotions of the community. Growing up in this environment, it was only natural for me to develop a love for the game.”