Cricket Returns to the Fremantle Oval after 60 Years as Indian XI Claims Victory

by Pooja Bhardwaj March 4, 2026

By Pooja Bhardwaj March 4, 2026 0 comments 2 minutes read

Captain Vaibhav Chhabra of the winning Indian XI team and the Mayor of Fremantle Ben Lawver hold the championship trophy at Fremantle Oval, home of the South Fremantle Football Club, surrounded by his teammates, with former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg and Consul General of India Kajari Biswas in the back row on March 2, 2026. PHOTO: Jyotsna Chhabra

Cricket made a historic return to Fremantle Oval after a 60-year hiatus on March 2, 2026, during the Labor Day public holiday in Western Australia, as the Indian XI emerged victorious at the Fremantle Multicultural Cricket Carnival 2026.

The one-day T10 tournament brought together community teams representing the British, Croatian, Indian and Italian communities in a free, family friendly public event hosted at the oval in the city of Fremantle.

In Pool A, the Indian XI defeated the British XI, while in Pool B the Italian XI faced the Croatian XI. The winners of each pool advanced to the final, played under lights in the early evening at Fremantle Oval, where the Indian XI defeated the Italian XI to claim the title.

The Fremantle Multicultural Cricket Carnival aimed to bring together sport, community and culture. According to the Consulate General of India in Perth, the event was designed as “a free public and family friendly event showcasing not only cricket but also the culinary food delights from the local famous cultural Italian, Indian, Croatian and British communities.”

**Scenes from the Fremantle Multicultural Cricket Carnival 2026 at Fremantle Oval on March 2, 2026. PHOTO: Consulate General of India, Perth**

The carnival featured food trucks serving British, Croatian, Indian and Italian cuisine, creating a festive atmosphere for spectators and families who gathered at the historic venue.

Fremantle Oval, located in the historic port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River near Perth, is long associated with Australian rules football and home to the South Fremantle Football Club, but once hosted cricket regularly for more than 80 years before the sport moved elsewhere in the 1960s. According to the Consulate General of India, former Western Australian Cricket Association President Brian Rakich “last played WACA A Grade cricket on Freo Oval in 1963” and recalled competing against well-known cricket and football figures of the era, including John Gerovich.

The tournament was initiated by Consul General of India to Western Australia and the Northern Territory Kajari Biswas and supported by the Italian, Croatian and British consulates, the City of Fremantle and the South Fremantle Football Club.

Ahead of the tournament, local officials including Rakich and Fremantle Deputy Mayor Fedele Camarda, who also played for South Fremantle Football Club at Fremantle Oval, participated in a media interaction and photo opportunity at Fremantle Oval, where organizers highlighted the historic return of cricket to the venue.

Weather conditions on the day were typical of early March in the Perth region, with warm and dry conditions providing suitable weather for outdoor cricket and community activities.