India and Pakistan cricket fans gathered in New York in their thousands on June 9 for the T20 World Cup clash between the two rival countries, bringing a flavor of the subcontinent to unfamiliar terrain for the sport. The 34,000-seat temporary Nassau County Cricket Stadium on Long Island was sold out, with fans traveling from far and wide for the game. Political tensions and security concerns mean that the two rarely meet outside of major competitions, but there was no hint of such issues among the fans, who were in a festive mood. Pakistan supporter Eswar Malik had flown from St. Louis for the game and said the rivalry was one that Americans now understood. "It's an old rivalry. It's like the Yankees-Red Sox...an old rivalry that goes on and on," he said. India beat Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring thriller.
Indian, Pakistani Cricket Fans Bring The Party To The U.S.
India's Jasprit Bumrah (left) celebrates after dismissing Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan during their cricket match in New York on June 9.