Major League Cricket 2023 (MLC) is set to make its debut on 14 July, marking another milestone in the world of franchise T20 leagues. The league has attracted significant investment and is poised to bring about a cricket revolution in the United States. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide you with all the essential information about MLC 2023.
Is the USA a Cricket Playing Country?
Yes, the USA is an Associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and holds ODI status. They recently participated in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, showcasing their cricketing prowess. Remarkably, the USA was part of the first-ever international cricket match, which took place in 1844 against Canada at the St George’s Cricket Club ground in New York.
Has Major League Cricket 2023 Been Approved by ICC?
Absolutely! The ICC officially sanctioned MLC in April of this year. Additionally, the league has received approval from USA Cricket. It’s important to note that MLC will be operated by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), not USA Cricket. ACE is promoted by Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, founders of Willow TV, the largest cricket broadcaster in North America, along with Satyan Gajwani and Vineet Jain from the Times of India.
Major League Cricket 2023 Teams and Format
MLC will feature six teams in its inaugural season, namely:
- Los Angeles Knight Riders
- MI New York
- San Francisco Unicorns
- Seattle Orcas
- Texas Super Kings
- Washington Freedom
The teams will compete in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. The playoffs will consist of four matches: Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the Final.
Major League Cricket 2023 Venues
The first season of MLC will be hosted by two venues:
- Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas
- Church Street Park Stadium in Morrisville
These venues will witness a total of 19 matches throughout the tournament.
Major League Cricket 2023 Team Owners
Interestingly, four out of the six MLC teams are owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners. Here’s a breakdown of the team owners:
- Los Angeles Knight Riders: Owned by the Kolkata Knight Riders family.
- Texas Super Kings: Belongs to the Chennai Super Kings family.
- MI New York: Owned by the Mumbai Indians group.
- Seattle Orcas: Owned by the GMR Group, co-owner of Delhi Capitals.
- San Francisco Unicorns: Owned by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, in partnership with Cricket Victoria from Australia.
- Washington Freedom: Owned by Sanjay Govil, in partnership with Cricket New South Wales.
Major League Cricket 2023 TV Broadcast and Live Streaming
The broadcasting rights for MLC in the USA and Canada have been acquired by Willow TV. Fans in India can catch the live action on Sports18 and JioTV.
Star Players in MLC
Major League Cricket 2023 will showcase an array of famous cricketing talent from around the world. Some of the prominent players participating in MLC 2023 include:
- Sunil Narine
- Andre Russell
- Rashid Khan
- Kieron Pollard
- Aaron Finch
- Marcus Stoinis
- Jason Roy
- Trent Boult
- Faf du Plessis
- Devon Conway
- David Miller
- Quinton de Kock
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Anrich Nortje
Read: India Must Change Opening Pair to Win World Cup
Overseas Player Cap
In Major League Cricket 2023, each franchise can have a maximum of 19 players, including a minimum of 10 domestic players and at least one U23 USA player. The playing XI can comprise a maximum of six overseas players, adding an international flavor to the teams.
Indian Players in MLC
Although MLC predominantly features international players, it also includes several Indian players who have retired from Indian domestic cricket. Some of these notable Indian players participating in MLC are:
- Unmukt Chand
- Harmeet Singh
- Smit Patel
- Sarbjeet Singh Ladda
- Chaitanya Bishnoi
- Tajinder Singh Dhillon
- Milind Kumar
- Shubham Ranjane
Major League Cricket 2023 Squads
Here are the squads for each of the Major League Cricket 2023 teams:
Los Angeles Knight Riders
- Andre Russell
- Sunil Narine
- Jason Roy
- Lockie Ferguson
- Martin Guptill
- Adam Zampa
- Rilee Rossouw
- Spencer Johnson
- Ali Khan
- Unmukt Chand
- Jaskaran Malhotra
- Nitish Kumar
- Corne Dry
- Ali Sheikh
- Saif Badar
- Shadley Van Schalkwyk
- Bhaskar Yadram
- Gajanand Singh
MI New York
- Kieron Pollard
- Trent Boult
- Rashid Khan
- Tim David
- Dewald Brevis
- David Wiese
- Kagiso Rabada
- Nicholas Pooran
- Jason Behrendorff
- Steven Taylor
- Hammad Azam
- Ehsan Adil
- Nosthush Kenjige
- Monank Patel
- Sarbjeet Ladda
- Shayan Jahangir
- Kyle Phillip
- Saideep Ganesh
- Jasdeep Singh
Seattle Orcas
- Quinton de Kock
- Wayne Parnell
- Dasun Shanaka
- Sikandar Raza
- Harmeet Singh
- Shehan Jayasuriya
- Shubham Ranjane
- Cameron Gannon
- Aaron Jones
- Nauman Anwar
- Phani Simhadri
- Angelo Perera
- Matthew Tromp
- Nisarg Patel
San Francisco Unicorns
- Aaron Finch
- Marcus Stoinis
- Lungi Ngidi
- Corey Anderson
- Liam Plunkett
- Tajinder Singh
- Chaitanya Bishnoi
- Carmi Le Roux
- Brody Couch
- David White
- Smit Patel
- Sanjay Krishnamurthi
- Amila Aponso
Texas Super Kings
- Devon Conway
- Mitchell Santner
- Daniel Sams
- David Miller
- Gerald Coetzee
- Dwayne Bravo
- Rusty Theron
- Calvin Savage
- Lahiru Milantha
- Milind Kumar
- Sami Aslam
- Cameron Stevenson
- Cody Chetty
- Zia Shahzad
- Saiteja Mukkamalla
- Mohammad Mohsin
Top 5 Youngest Indian Batsmen to Watch Out for in 2023
Washington Freedom
- Anrich Nortje
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Marco Jansen
- Glenn Phillips
- Adam Milne
- Moises Henriques
- Josh Philippe
- Andries Gous
- Mukhtar Ahmed
- Obus Pienaar
- Saurabh Netravalkar
- Saad Ali
- Dane Piedt
- Sujith Gowda
- Justin Dill
- Akhilesh Bodugum
- Ben Dwarshuis
- Usman Rafiq
Major League Cricket 2023 Full schedule, match timing and venue
| Date | Fixture | Time | Venue |
| 14 July | Texas Super Kings vs Los Angeles Knight Riders | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
| 15 July | MI New York vs San Francisco Unicorns | 2 AM IST | Dallas |
| 15 July | Seattle Orcas vs Washington Freedom | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
| 16 July | San Francisco Unicorns vs Seattle Orcas | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
| 17 July | Texas Super Kings vs Washington Freedom | 2 AM IST | Dallas |
| 17 July | Los Angeles Knight Riders vs MI New York | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
| 18 July | Texas Super Kings vs MI New York | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
| 19 July | Los Angeles Knight Riders vs San Francisco Unicorns | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
| 21 July | Washington Freedom vs Los Angeles Knight Riders | 3 AM IST | Morrisville |
| 22 July | Seattle Orcas vs Texas Super Kings | 3 AM IST | Morrisville |
| 23 July | Washington Freedom vs San Francisco Unicorns | 3 AM IST | Morrisville |
| 23 July | Los Angeles Knight Riders vs Seattle Orcas | 11 PM IST | Morrisville |
| 24 July | MI New York vs Washington Freedom | 3 AM IST | Morrisville |
| 25 July | San Francisco Unicorns vs Texas Super Kings | 3 AM IST | Morrisville |
| 26 July | MI New York vs Seattle Orcas | 3 AM IST | Morrisville |
| 28 July | Eliminator (3 vs 4) | 2 AM IST | Dallas |
| 28 July | Qualifier 1 (1 vs 2) | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
| 29 July | Qualifier 2 | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
| 31 July | Final | 6 AM IST | Dallas |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How many teams are participating in Major League Cricket 2023 ?
A: MLC 2023 features a total of six teams competing against each other.
Q: Who owns the Los Angeles Knight Riders team in MLC?
A: The Los Angeles Knight Riders are owned by the Kolkata Knight Riders family.
Q: How many overseas players can each team have in MLC?
A: Each team participating in MLC can have a maximum of six overseas players in their playing XI.
Q: Where will the matches of the first MLC season be held?
A: The matches will take place at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and Church Street Park Stadium in Morrisville.
Q: Which TV channels will broadcast MLC matches in the USA and Canada?
A: Willow TV has secured the broadcasting rights for MLC in the USA and Canada.
Q: Are there any Indian players participating in MLC?
A: Yes, MLC includes Indian players who have retired from Indian domestic cricket, adding further excitement to the league.
Conclusion
As Major League Cricket prepares for its inaugural season in 2023, cricket fans around the world eagerly anticipate this groundbreaking event. With a star-studded lineup, exciting venues, and enthusiastic team owners, MLC promises to bring the excitement of T20 cricket to the United States. Stay tuned for an action-packed tournament that is set to captivate cricket enthusiasts across the globe.
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