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Professional cricket has found a new home in the Tri-Valley, as a Northern California minor league men’s franchise is moving into the region and rebranding as the San Ramon Grizzlies.
Announced last week, the affiliation will see the Minor League Cricket team play two home games in San Ramon this season with logistical support from the city government, as well as forge a reciprocal relationship between the Grizzlies and the San Ramon Cricket Association for facility access and a pathway to develop local young cricketers for the professional level.
“We are proud to welcome the Grizzlies to San Ramon,” Mayor Mark Armstrong said in the June 2 press release. “This partnership enhances recreational opportunities for our residents and brings the excitement of top-tier cricket right to our doorstep.”
“This is more than a name change — it’s a commitment to building a deep and lasting partnership with the San Ramon community,” added Samir Shah, new co-owner and CEO of the Grizzlies. “Together, we look forward to creating meaningful opportunities for youth and growing the game right here in the Bay Area.”
The rebrand comes amid a new era for the franchise that began about a month earlier with Shah – a Bay Area resident and lifelong cricket fan – taking over as the lead investor and CEO of the then-Golden State Grizzlies, previously based in Davis. “Together, we’re building a world-class team that delivers lasting value to our players, partners, investors, and the broader cricket community,” he vowed May 1.
The ownership group then hired veteran Indian cricketer and coach Arunkumar Jagadeesh (known better as Jak) as the Grizzlies’ new head coach on May 8. The organization is working to build out its player roster ahead of the start of the 2025 regular season later this summer.
The final schedule is still pending from MiLC, but when it is released, two of the Grizzlies’ home games will be played at the brand-new Quail Run Cricket Pitch in the heart of eastern San Ramon’s Dougherty Valley.
The city is expected to “provide logistical and ground support, helping elevate the overall game-day experience for both players and fans” for those matches, according to the Grizzlies.
The team also looks to benefit from cricket’s strong roots in the Tri-Valley by leveraging SRCA’s facilities and support staff, and in turn the local cricket club is launching an advanced training program for top young cricket players with help from the Grizzlies.
“This collaboration gives our most promising young players access to elite resources and a direct path to the professional level,” SRCA Youth Chairman Ramesh Immadi said in the press release.
Vice Mayor Sridhar Verose added, “San Ramon has always celebrated diversity and youth engagement. The Grizzlies’ presence here adds a new dimension to our city’s sports culture and inspires our youth to dream bigger.”
