Here, The Tigers Roar

The Tigers, Stuyvesant’s coed cricket team, finished a historic season that saw them reach the semifinals, the furthest the team has progressed in four years. Even though the team ultimately lost to Martin Van Buren High School, the Tigers still have so much to be proud of, and this season was a testament to everything the team has been working toward. 

Their season began with a game against their rivals Bronx Science. Although strong bowling performances from senior bowler Jamuil Hoq and senior vice captain all-rounder Arithra Saha kept the game from spiraling out of control with crucial wickets, it wasn’t enough, and they ended up losing the season opener 95-120. Even though it wasn’t the result the team wanted, the game served as an early reality check and a necessary reminder of the issues that the Tigers had been struggling with for years. 

Instead of letting that early game define the rest of their season, the Tigers bounced back from the defeat and mounted an 11-game undefeated streak. Throughout this run, the team also experimented with several lineups to try to identify what worked and what didn’t as the playoffs drew closer. For vice captain Saha, the turnaround for the roster made a lot of sense: “Our team’s overall performance this season was the best I have seen in my four years.” Saha also added that the team saw breakout years from players across the roster: “We had five to six people with over 100 runs and five people with over 10 wickets. We never had a game we lost one-sided.” 

Saha also attributed the team’s chemistry to their growth and ability to persevere through adversity this season. “Freshman year, I couldn’t bowl or bat properly. I would give up very easily and blame it on other factors,” he said. “These four years have shaped me and this team in so many ways. We might not have the under-19 players of Bronx Science, or the academy-trained players of Richmond Hill and Edison, but we have each other.” Sophomore all-rounder Maurya Patel added to this sentiment and said that as the team practiced more and settled into the regular season, the connection between the players grew: “We all got closer and understood each other better. Train rides after practices were a favorite, and many memories were made. It’s like a big family.” The environment that the Tigers have built meets mistakes with support rather than ridicule, and this close-knit bond is what has truly enabled them to grow and compete even in the face of teams with far more resources than them. 

All of this growth was put to the test in a rematch against Bronx Science in the final game of the regular season. Although the Tigers had already secured a place in the playoffs, the seniors saw this as an opportunity to finally defeat a team that had given them so much frustration over the past four years. When that fateful Friday evening arrived, the entire team was laser-focused. “Everyone’s focus for the entire day was on the game ahead and nothing else could distract us. Every wicket was an achievement,” sophomore wicketkeeper Prabal Paliwal said. At the start of the match, the Tigers came out strong with the ball with Hoq, Patel, and junior vice captain Haseeb Chaudhry each recording two wickets to stump Bronx Science to an 83-run total. This low total gave a strong floor for the batters to play off of. Captain batsman Ishaan Motwani set the tone for his team with a strong 36 runs off 37 balls, while Paliwal chipped in with 15 runs off 36 to seal the win. The Tigers ended up defeating Bronx Science by six wickets and ended a four-year losing streak, giving them a lot of momentum as they entered the playoffs. 

However, even with this momentum, the playoff run was far from straightforward. The Tigers did open the postseason with a thumping 81-run victory over Newton High School, but the following quarterfinal match against Aviation Career & Technical Education High School proved to be a more difficult task. The Tigers opened the game with a rough start in the power play, the first six overs of the match, and it took crucial wickets from Chaudhry, Patel, and Saha to get the team back into the game and stop Aviation’s run total at 106. Even so, the team’s top batting order (the first three batsmen in the lineup) struggled and were all bowled out without accumulating many runs. The game fell in the hands of the team’s middle order. “Our middle order, which was weak for the whole season, clutched up with crucial knocks from seniors Aman Thapa and Samaun Asaf and our vice captain Chaudhry,” Patel said. Losing their three best batsmen early into the game was a large test of the team’s composure, and it’s likely the Tigers would have been unable to handle it if they hadn’t stayed rooted in the principles of patience and trust that they had been committed to throughout the entire season—the same principles that had brought them from four wins as freshmen to the brink of a semifinal appearance. Ultimately, the Tigers won by five wickets and booked their ticket for a semifinal match against Martin Van Buren High School. 

Even though the semifinal match against Martin Van Buren may ultimately have been a step too far for the team, the Tigers still put up a commanding effort against a strong opponent that they can certainly be proud of. Similar to the game against Aviation, much of the top order struggled against Van Buren’s relentless bowling barrage. When it was time for the Tigers to bat, Motwani was able to meet the moment and scored 47 runs to keep the Tigers alive. “Even in tough situations, our captain made the right calls and had many crucial hits,” sophomore middle-order batsman Swapneel Sikder said. However, even with exceptional performances from Motwani, Saha, Patel, and Sikder, the Tigers ultimately fell 123-151. The result was not the ending they wanted, but it did mark the end of a very strong season, and there was still so much to be proud of for the team. 

For the seniors, this season had meaning beyond their semifinal placement. “This team means a lot more to me than just cricket,” senior batsman Aman Thapa said. “It’s given me some really good friendships and a lot of great memories that I’ll always keep with me.” For junior manager and player Sajid Rahman, there was beauty in the ways that the team grew over the three years that he’s been on the team: “Seeing every year how we improve and go further and further is just amazing to see. It’s a testament to the work that goes on behind the scenes.” 

Captain Motwani reflected on four years of leading the team and looks ahead with confidence: “We’re seen as probably one of the weaker teams in PSAL and everyone underestimates us, and we know that. But that doesn’t change what we already know we can accomplish. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose, but we don’t go down without a fight.” As Motwani’s time with the team comes to an end, he has a lot of confidence in the team’s future. “I’m so proud to be part of this team and to have been captain for four years. I trust that next year, in the seniors’ absence, this team will be well-led and will accomplish so much more.” 

Junior vice captain Chaudhry will be taking over as captain next season, and is stepping into the role as the Tigers look to rebuild after graduating a large senior class. “Taking over as captain means a lot,” Chaudhry said. “There is going to be pressure with so many seniors leaving, but I want to build on the passion everyone already has and run practices where players can both improve and enjoy cricket.” Chaudhry emphasized the importance of developing the young roster to build a contending team while also making sure that everyone still enjoys the season along the way: “more important than just winning is making sure everyone gets chances to play and have fun.”