From a School Presentation to Captaining Brazil: Carolina Nascimento and the Rise of Cricket in Brazil

Beautiful beaches, football and amazing food have always been the hallmarks of Brazil, though cricket continues to make its mark.

The sport is growing rapidly across Brazil, thanks in large part to the impressive work being done by the country’s national team.

The captain of Brazil’s women’s team, Carolina Nascimento, first discovered cricket through a presentation at her school.

Little did she know that it would shape her life, taking her on trips across the world, representing and eventually captaining her country.

“I first discovered cricket through a presentation at my school, where coaches from Cricket Brazil came to introduce the sport. Before that, I had never even heard of cricket,” Carolina Nascimento tells Emerging Cricket.

“However, growing up, I used to play a Brazilian street game called taco (or bets) with my family, which has some similarities to cricket. Looking back, I like to think that was my first connection with the sport without even realising it.

“During that school presentation, I had so much fun trying cricket for the first time. I loved the experience, and what started as a fun afternoon quickly turned into a passion.

“I never imagined that one day I would represent Brazil and eventually become captain of the national team.”

Taco is a traditional Brazilian street game in which players use wooden bats to hit a ball while defending their targets, making it one of the closest Brazilian games to cricket. Nascimento’s cricket journey had begun subconsciously without her even knowing it.

From that first Cricket Brasil session at school, Nascimento quickly fell in love with the sport.

Across the world, Cricket is one of the most social and team-oriented sports there is. It is always challenging and demanding, but it can also be incredibly rewarding, both on and off the field. Nascimento says it was the friendships and experiences that helped make cricket such a special part of her life.

“I think it was the challenge. Cricket is a sport that constantly pushes you to improve, both physically and mentally,” she said on what made her fall in love with the sport.

“I also fell in love with the friendships, the teamwork, and the opportunities it gave me to travel the world while representing my country. It became much more than a sport, it became part of who I am.”

As touched on earlier, Brazil has plenty of sports that are hugely popular, including football, volleyball, basketball, mixed martial arts/Brazilian jiu-jitsu and surfing. Cricket, however, is still a relatively new sport in the country, with them only joining the ICC as an Affiliate Member in 2002.

There is still plenty of work to be done, but over the last few years, cricket has definitely been on the rise in Brazil.

People are always curious about the sport, the rules and the different formats, especially given its resemblance of local games. There seems to be a genuine curiosity within the country, and that interest is only continuing to grow.

“Cricket is still a developing sport in Brazil, but I’ve seen a huge increase in interest over the last few years,” Nascimento explained.

“More schools are introducing cricket, more children are playing, and social media has also helped people discover the sport.

“There’s still a long way to go, but it’s exciting to see how much it has grown.”

Nascimento began playing cricket in 2018. Just five years later, after progressing through Cricket Brasil’s development pathway, she earned her first senior call-up, making her debut for Brazil against Argentina in Poços de Caldas in 2023.

It was a sensational rise for the young Brazilian, but things would move even more quickly.

In April 2024, Nascimento was named captain of the Brazil women’s national team, replacing Roberta Moretti Avery.

It was a remarkable rise for someone who had only started playing cricket in 2018. In just six years, she had gone from discovering the sport at school to leading her country.

Nascimento explained what it meant to be given the honour of captaining Brazil.

“I was informed by our coaching staff, and it was one of the biggest honours of my career,” she said.

“At first, it felt like a huge responsibility, but I also saw it as a sign of trust. Being captain isn’t just about making decisions on the field; it’s about supporting your teammates, setting an example, and helping create an environment where everyone can perform at their best.

“Wearing the Brazilian shirt is already special, but leading the team makes it even more meaningful.”

In 2021, Cricket Brasil made history by offering central professional contracts to its women’s team, allowing the players to train full-time and continue building both as a team and as a cricketing nation.

Since then, Brazil have travelled across the world, touring countries such as England, Rwanda, Botswana and, more recently, Switzerland.

In England, they played at New Farnley Cricket Club against the Isle of Man and Jersey, recording victories before travelling to Rwanda. Despite Rwanda being ranked above them at the time, Brazil claimed a memorable Super Over victory.

They also competed in the Kalahari Women’s T20 in Botswana, taking on Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Lesotho as they continued to gain valuable international experience.

“Every international tour teaches us something new. Playing against stronger teams, experiencing different conditions, and facing different styles of cricket have helped us grow a lot,” she said.

“Those experiences have made us more confident and united as a team. I believe they’ve played a huge role in the progress we’ve made over the last few years.

“There have been many special moments, but one that stands out for me is winning against Rwanda for the first time. They were ranked above us, and it was an emotional match that went to a Super Over.

“It showed us how much we had grown as a team and proved that we could compete with some of the strongest Associate nations.”

The most recent tour came at the end of July 2026, when Brazil took part in a Quadrangular Series alongside Switzerland, Spain and Jersey in Zurich. They were simply too good for every side they faced, dominating each match on their way to lifting the trophy.

Whilst the results made it look easy, Nascimento was quick to point out that it was far from the truth. What everyone saw was just the tip of the iceberg, not the months of hard work, preparation and planning that had gone into the tournament.

“That tournament meant a lot to us because it reflected all the hard work we’ve put in over the last few years,” she expressed.

“Winning every match wasn’t easy, and every game required focus and discipline. Lifting the trophy was a reward for everyone’s commitment, but more importantly, it showed that Brazilian cricket continues to move in the right direction. It gives us confidence for the challenges ahead.”

One of the main reasons behind the impressive progress of Brazil’s national team is the work being done at the heart of cricket in the country, Poços de Caldas. The city is home to Cricket Brasil’s high-performance centre, where players train, eat, recover, use the gym and analyse their performances, providing everything they need in one place.

Poços de Caldas is located in the state of Minas Gerais, close to the border with the state of São Paulo. Its location also makes it an ideal base, with major cities such as São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro all within relatively easy reach.

“Poços de Caldas has become the home of Brazilian cricket because of the incredible work done over many years,” Nascimento adds.

“The city has invested in facilities, youth development, and creating opportunities for people to play the sport.

“Many national team players have developed there, and it’s where we spend a lot of time training together. For us, it’s much more than just a city; it’s where Brazilian cricket has built its identity and continues to grow.”

Cricket will return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 for the first time since 1900, and Brazil will be hoping to be part of history.

The route to qualification is through the 2027 ICC Olympic Qualifier, where they will have the opportunity to earn a place at the Games.

Nascimento spoke about what it would mean, both personally and for Brazil, to qualify for the Olympics.

“It would mean everything. Every athlete dreams of competing at the Olympic Games, and knowing that cricket will be back makes that dream feel real, she expressed.”

“For Brazil, qualifying would be historic and would inspire many more people to play the sport. It’s something we’re working towards every single day. But we know 2028, it’s hard to make it happen.”

To conclude, Nascimento reflects on the goals she still wants to achieve, both personally and as captain of Brazil.

“As a player, I want to keep improving every aspect of my game and become as consistent as possible,” she explained.

“As captain, I want to help create an environment where every player feels confident and valued. I also hope to inspire more young girls in Brazil to take up cricket and believe they can achieve great things in the sport.”

The future of cricket in Brazil is in good hands, and with Nascimento leading the national team, there is every reason to believe the sport will continue to grow. She has confidence in her players, trusts the group she has around her, and has the mindset to help take Brazil to even greater heights.

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