CCA Royals win National Youth Cricket Tournament

The CCA Royals chased 124 runs in 22 overs to defeat the Michigan CA in the National Youth Cricket Tournament, Sunday.

The Royals finished the match without losing a single wicket. 

Four teams participated in the round-robin style tournament—CCA Royals, CCA Aristrocrats, Michigan CA and USACA. They competed in matches held in Cupertino, Santa Clara and Gilroy, and the highest scoring teams faced off in Sunday's final. 

The tournament, hosted by Cupertino's California Cricket Academy, is in its seventh year. Supported by the USA Cricket Association and run largely as a volunteer organization, Kinjal Buch says tournaments and activities like these give young players the opporutnity to bond over their love of the game.

Kinjal, a co-founder of the Academy, started CCA when her sons, 7 and 3-1/2 at the time, fell in love with cricket on a family trip to India. Now, the organization has grown, sending a 13-and-under team to Toronto for a tournament there, as well. 

Most of the participants are born and reared in the United States, and either Indian-American or from former Commonwealth countries, said Ajay Athavale, president of CCA. 

Vikram Valluri and Arsh Buch have been playing cricket with the Californa Cricket Academy since the club opened in 2004. 

The players meet at least once a week to practice, Vikram and Arsh said, and almost daily during the summer.

Vikram, who was born in India and lived there until he was 8, says he grew up surrounded by the game and jumped at the chance to play for an organized side. 

Arsh, whose parents Hemant and Kinjal Buch started the Academy, said the group of young men who play and pratice together throughout the year have grown close. 

"It's like a small family that grew bigger."