Dr. Manoj Thirupal, Ph.D., M.S.W., MI Certified
Head Coach & Program Founder
Valued for what he could do. Never welcomed for who he was.
Dr. Manoj Thirupal was born and raised in the slums of Chennai, India. That experience — being valued for what he could produce, but never fully welcomed for who he was — is why he built this program differently.
A bat his father made
He first picked up a cricket bat his father made for him, unable to afford a store-bought one like the other kids, and went on to captain his school team. Locally he was known as “Chennai Express” and “Arrow” — teams recruited him specifically to help them win, even as his father’s poverty was plainly visible: no shoes on his feet, worn shorts, the kind of background elite clubs typically never accepted.
He was invited in. But other kids from similar backgrounds who wanted to play often weren’t invited at all — or if they did show up, were treated differently. Valued only for what they could produce on the field, or how useful they were to the team. Not welcomed as someone there to learn, belong, and be respected, irrespective of where they came from, their caste, or their economic background.
The name that was never announced
As an 11th grader, at sixteen, he clocked an average bowling speed of 147.2 km/h — about 91.5 mph — with his fastest delivery touching 152.6 km/h. Fast enough to draw attention at Indian Premier League pace-bowling trials at Chepauk, where he competed among roughly 1,500 hopefuls and finished as the top-ranked candidate.
He sat for a media interview as the presumed selection, with everyone around him certain his name would be announced. It never was. The interview never aired. Money, caste, and connections opened doors for other candidates, but blocked them for him.
Dr. Manoj Thirupal was born and raised in the slums of Chennai, India. That experience — being valued for what he could produce, but never fully welcomed for who he was — is why he built this program differently.
A bat his father made
He first picked up a cricket bat his father made for him, unable to afford a store-bought one like the other kids, and went on to captain his school team. Locally he was known as “Chennai Express” and “Arrow” — teams recruited him specifically to help them win, even as his father’s poverty was plainly visible: no shoes on his feet, worn shorts, the kind of background elite clubs typically never accepted.
He was invited in. But other kids from similar backgrounds who wanted to play often weren’t invited at all — or if they did show up, were treated differently. Valued only for what they could produce on the field, or how useful they were to the team. Not welcomed as someone there to learn, belong, and be respected, irrespective of where they came from, their caste, or their economic background.
The name that was never announced
As an 11th grader, at sixteen, he clocked an average bowling speed of 147.2 km/h — about 91.5 mph — with his fastest delivery touching 152.6 km/h. Fast enough to draw attention at Indian Premier League pace-bowling trials at Chepauk, where he competed among roughly 1,500 hopefuls and finished as the top-ranked candidate.
He sat for a media interview as the presumed selection, with everyone around him certain his name would be announced. It never was. The interview never aired. Money, caste, and connections opened doors for other candidates, but blocked them for him.
He didn’t stop playing
He went on to captain Loyola College’s undergraduate and graduate team, hold a reserved squad spot on Loyola University’s team, and represent companies and clubs across India, including Ashok Leyland. After coming to the US to study, he saved through part-time jobs to buy his first real cricket bat in 2018 — the one his father could never afford for him.
He competed internationally as a guest player with the Czech national team at the International Pepsi Cup Tournament, playing T20 cricket. The team offered him a two-year contract to stay on permanently, which he turned down. The following year, having faced him as an opponent, Mad Dogs Cricket Club of Connecticut invited him to represent the USA at the same tournament instead.
Building it differently in Spokane
In Spokane, he founded the Gonzaga Cricket Club to introduce cricket to local American students. He lectures at Gonzaga’s School of Leadership Studies, teaching organizational behavior, leading across cultures, and intercultural communication and leadership.
He later established what is now the Eastside Thunder Hawks, with a vision of bringing clubs together across eastern Washington — Spokane, Pullman, the Tri-Cities, and Idaho — to learn from each other, unlearn old rivalry mindsets, and build real collaboration. Since 2023 the Hawks have climbed every season, from Division D to C and now Division B, reaching the semifinals twice and fielding two full teams, Falcons and Hawks, last year.
Every kid here is invited in fully — not just for what they can produce on the field.
He went on to captain Loyola College’s undergraduate and graduate team, hold a reserved squad spot on Loyola University’s team, and represent companies and clubs across India, including Ashok Leyland. After coming to the US to study, he saved through part-time jobs to buy his first real cricket bat in 2018 — the one his father could never afford for him.
He competed internationally as a guest player with the Czech national team at the International Pepsi Cup Tournament, playing T20 cricket. The team offered him a two-year contract to stay on permanently, which he turned down. The following year, having faced him as an opponent, Mad Dogs Cricket Club of Connecticut invited him to represent the USA at the same tournament instead.
Building it differently in Spokane
In Spokane, he founded the Gonzaga Cricket Club to introduce cricket to local American students. He lectures at Gonzaga’s School of Leadership Studies, teaching organizational behavior, leading across cultures, and intercultural communication and leadership.
He later established what is now the Eastside Thunder Hawks, with a vision of bringing clubs together across eastern Washington — Spokane, Pullman, the Tri-Cities, and Idaho — to learn from each other, unlearn old rivalry mindsets, and build real collaboration. Since 2023 the Hawks have climbed every season, from Division D to C and now Division B, reaching the semifinals twice and fielding two full teams, Falcons and Hawks, last year.
Every kid here is invited in fully — not just for what they can produce on the field.