As Major League Cricket (MLC) debuts this year, it looks to be a terrific year for cricket in the United States.
This year’s Minor League Cricket will also continue, while the maiden season of the MLC T20 competition will run from July 13 to July 30.
On March 19, a player draught will be placed, in which participants will be chosen from the ongoing MLC Domestic Player Combine.
The MLC T20 competition will feature six teams, each of which is based in a significant American city: Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and New York City.
Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas will host the first game. Team names and other locations are still to be revealed.
Know complete details on MLC T20, rules, and team owner.
MLC T20: IPL Teams Involvement
Indian Premier League (IPL) teams have invested in the upcoming Major Cricket League (MCL) in the USA after making investments in domestic T20 leagues in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai (Super Kings), the two most successful IPL teams, have entered the US market.
The two teams have invested in Major League Cricket (MLC) franchises, a new competition that will begin in the USA, together with Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders.
The move follows the IPL teams’ successful acquisition of all six teams in the just-concluded SA20.
Five ILT20 teams also have connections to the IPL and WPL.
The first team to participate in Major League Cricket was Kolkata Knight Riders, who also made the first investments in the competition. KKR take over the Los Angeles team.
The CPL team Trinbago Knight Riders is also owned by KKR, which has a significant presence in the West.
The New York franchise will be handled by the Mumbai Indians as they continue their fast expansion drive.
Like Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals has interests in five competitions, including the MLC.
The Seattle franchise will be managed by GMR Sports Private Ltd, which is jointly owned by Jindal Sports West and the latter.
Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, has partnered with GMR. The group will be known to as “Seattle Orcas,” after a killer whale that is native to the seas near Seattle.
In the meantime, Chennai Super Kings have teamed up with a local investor to buy the Texas franchise.
CSK was eager to enter the market and grow but fell short of owning a Women’s IPL team.
MLC T20 in the USA: Home cities for teams
1) Chennai Super Kings – Texas
2) Mumbai Indians – New York
3) Delhi Capitals – Seattle
4) Kolkata Knight Riders – Los Angeles
Two more franchises are yet to be announced by the organisers.
When will MLC T20 start?
The first MLC T20 tournament will take place between July 13 and July 30. The competition, in which prominent T20 players will take part, will be held in Grand Prairie, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, in a recently renovated stadium.
On March 19, the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston will host the player’s draught for local US players.
MLC T20 in the USA: Rules
Nine domestic players will be chosen by the teams representing Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
More foreign player acquisitions will be announced in the coming days. The franchises will directly sign the foreign players; they will not be selected in the draught.
Beginning on July 13 and lasting for 18 days until the championship game on July 30, all six teams will congregate in the Dallas area for a total of 19 games.
The remodeled Grand Prairie Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas will host the opening weekend of matches.
A minimum of 15 players and a maximum of 18 players will make up the team.
There can be a maximum of nine foreign players per organisation.
MLC T20 team purse
According to reports, each team will have a budget of $800,000 for international signings and $300,000 for cricket players based in the US.
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