Indian expats play cricket in Yiwu on Sept 9. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

The India-China Cricket Invitational Tournament was held in Yiwu from Sept 9 to 10.

Nearly a hundred Indian expatriates hailing from cities such as Shanghai, Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Yiwu formed eight teams, engaging in a round-robin tournament to vie for the championship and runner-up titles.

Nilesh, an Indian expatriate who resides in Yiwu, said, "Yiwu is home to over 1,300 Indian expatriates, and more than a hundred of us have come together to form 10 cricket teams, regularly meeting up for matches."

Indian expats play cricket in Yiwu on Sept 9. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

Cricket boasts a global following of over 2 billion fans, making it the second most popular sport in the world after soccer.

It was officially included as a competition event in the 16th Asian Games held in Guangzhou in 2010. The cricket events at the Hangzhou Asian Games are scheduled to take place from Sept 19 to Oct 7, with two gold medals up for grabs.

This year's Hangzhou Asian Games mark India's debut in the cricket competition. Nilesh said several star players have been selected for the Indian national cricket team, making India one of the top contenders for cricket gold at this edition of the Asian Games.

Given Hangzhou's proximity to Yiwu, this is an unparalleled opportunity, and they are determined to rally behind the Indian national cricket team, according to Nilesh.