With 27 runs needed in the final over and the season on the line, USC cricket captain Sameep Kulkarni stepped up and hit the ball out of the park—literally. The six points earned from that hit tied the match against UC Irvine, and when the umpire ruled the delivery an illegal no-ball for height, the Trojans were awarded one bonus run, sealing a stunning one-run victory on the final delivery of the game.
That semifinal moment at the Western Division Tournament in Compton encapsulated what has been a breakthrough season for USC cricket. The Trojans finished second in their division and have earned a spot at the Collegiate Cricket League (CCL) Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The CCL held its first official competition in April 2025. This year it begins on March 12, and will feature a field of 12 of the top collegiate cricket programs in the country.
“It was important for us to stick to the game plan,” said Kulkarni, a graduate student at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the team’s No. 3 batsman. “We have the depth and the batting. I had belief in my team.”
USC opened the Western Division tournament with a convincing win over crosstown rival UCLA, posting 155 runs in 10 overs to the Bruins’ 146. The team followed that up with an even more dominant showing against UC Riverside, scoring 196 runs to the Highlanders’ 155. However, it was the semifinal against UC Irvine that defined the Trojans’ future and tournament hopes.
After Irvine put up a total of 134 runs in 10 overs, USC found itself in yet another chase down. Entering the 9th over, the Trojans still needed 52 runs to win. In the 10th, they needed 27. With Kulkarni up to bat, he hit four sixes in the final over including three balls out of the park, closing in on the deficit.
In cricket, each over consists of six deliveries. However, on the bowler’s fourth delivery, he threw a ball that Kulkarni missed, increasing the tension of the game. In the fifth ball, Kulkarni earned two runs after hitting the ball deep mid-wicket. With that hit, the deficit shrunk to seven runs.
With the sixth and final ball of the game, Kulkarni knew what was at stake.
He stepped up and once again hit the ball over the boundary. Six runs. He was then awarded an extra point because the ball was bowled above his waist. Seven.
The comeback was so extraordinary, demonstrating championship-winning grit needed to succeed in such a strategic sport.
USC could not replicate that magic in the final, however. Batting first, the Trojans posted 117 runs against Arizona State, and the Sun Devils chased it down comfortably, reaching 118 to claim the Western Division title. USC finished as the regional runners-up.
Still, second place was enough to punch its ticket to nationals, and it comes with a bonus. USC enters the tournament with one point already on the board. The Trojans are placed in Group 2 alongside the University of Wisconsin, University of Georgia, Rutgers University, the University of Michigan and the University of Florida.
After round-robin play beginning March 12, teams will be seeded 1-12 heading into the prequarterfinals, quarterfinals and semifinals, with the championship final scheduled for March 15.
Games will be played at Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium — the first cricket ground in the United States to receive certification from the International Cricket Council, which it earned in 2010.
For many Trojans, the trip to Florida represents more than a championship opportunity. The CCL is operated by the National Cricket League (NCL), a T10 franchise circuit sanctioned by USA Cricket, and nationals serve as a showcase for players hoping to attract professional attention.
“We have a really good set of players who would like some contracts from the NCL,” Kulkarni said. “The NCL is a good pathway for growing and getting better in the sport.”
Four members of the 13-player roster have prior domestic experience in India. The squad is a mix of undergraduate and graduate students, and they have been honing their craft weekly Sunday practices at the Woodley Park Cricket Complex from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., supplemented by fielding sessions at Allyson Felix Field.
The team is funded through USC Recreational Sports, which covered the $800 registration fee, but players are responsible for their own travel, hotel and meal expenses for the Florida trip—a reality that underscores the scrappy, self-motivated culture of the program.
Collegiate cricket has grown rapidly across the United States in recent years, surpassing collegiate rugby in participation, with more than 50 colleges competing across four regional divisions. The top three teams in each division—Western, Atlantic, Southern and Midwest—advance to nationals.
This marks USC’s second straight run to nationals. Last year, the Trojans were ranked third in the country before falling in the semifinals to Washington. Florida won the title, which is part of the reason nationals are being held in Fort Lauderdale this year.
“We made history this year,” Kulkarni said of the team’s impressive win. “These other teams have players on the USA U-19 World Cup teams, so it will be competition for us.”
The Trojans, though, have already proven they can thrive under pressure - and they have one unforgettable final ball to prove it.