“They're looking for more facilities”: Glasgow Cosmic Co-Owner Tansha Batra on the growing appetite for cricket in Europe

European cricket is entering one of the most exciting periods in its history. International performances are improving, participation is growing and professional opportunities are beginning to emerge across the continent. For Tansha Batra, Co-Owner of Glasgow Cosmic, those developments point to something much bigger than a sporting trend, they signal the rise of a new cricket market with enormous untapped potential.

As one of the driving forces behind Glasgow Cosmic, Batra believes Europe is no longer a region waiting to discover cricket. Instead, it is a region steadily rediscovering a sport that has long been part of its history while creating fresh opportunities for the next generation.

"Europe right now is definitely at a very interesting landscape. It is really at a growth phase," Tansha said in an interaction with ETPL.

Cricket may not yet rival football or rugby in popularity across much of Europe, but Batra believes the momentum behind the sport has never been stronger. Strong performances from national teams, coupled with the growing profile of the women's game, are helping reshape perceptions of cricket across the continent.

"We do know that cricket might not be the predominant sport in Europe. But then we see how well teams like Ireland and Scotland are playing, and the quality of the women's matches as well, they're putting up such a quality game," she explained.

That success, Tansha believes, is creating a ripple effect far beyond the international arena.

As more European teams compete on the global stage and produce memorable performances, local communities are beginning to engage with the sport in greater numbers. The growing visibility of cricket is inspiring curiosity, participation and, increasingly, long-term interest among young people.

Through conversations with universities across Scotland, Tansha has also noticed a significant change in the sporting interests of students, one that reflects cricket's growing presence within European campuses.

"I happened to speak to a lot of universities in Scotland. They told me that students who, in earlier years, were mostly interested in football and rugby are now showing a lot of interest in cricket," she said.

That rising enthusiasm is already translating into demand.

"They're now looking for more facilities and a stronger coaching environment so they can actually put their foot forward in cricket," Batra added.

For Glasgow Cosmic, those conversations reinforce the importance of building more than just a competitive franchise. The European T20 Premier League has the opportunity to become a bridge between grassroots cricket and the professional game, giving aspiring players a pathway while inspiring thousands more to pick up a bat and ball.

For Batra, the success of European nations are not isolated milestones, they are indicators of a market beginning to realise its potential. The challenge is no longer convincing people that cricket belongs in Europe. The challenge is ensuring the infrastructure, opportunities and professional platforms keep pace with the growing appetite for the game.

As Glasgow Cosmic prepares for the inaugural European T20 Premier League season, Batra sees the franchise as part of a much larger movement. One that is helping shape the future of European cricket, not by introducing the sport to a new audience, but by giving an increasingly passionate cricket community the platform it has been waiting for.