Major League Cricket Teams will be in action when the inaugural season of Major League Cricket begins in the United States of America on July 13 in the state of Texas.
Initial media reports suggest that this is a lot like the Indian Premier League and most of the IPL franchises have a team in this league just like SA20. Even the online cricket betting market is getting a significant reception for this league.
The first match will be played on July 14 in Texas with the final scheduled for July 31. There are six teams in total of which three belong to the IPL franchise.
If you are one of those who are taking a keen interest in Major League Cricket teams, then this is the article for you.
Meet Major League Cricket Teams
As mentioned there are six teams among which three of the teams belong to the IPL franchise.
MI New York
This franchise is owned by Mumbai Indians’ owner Mukesh Ambani. The team will have stalwarts from the MI franchise. The likes of Tim David and Dewald Brewis are already roped in. Moreover, the likes of Nicholas Pooran and Trent Boult have also been named in the initial squad. They will also have young American cricketers to accompany them.
MI New York Squad
Kieron Pollard (captain), Steven Taylor, Kagiso Rabada, David Wiese, Trent Boult, Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Saideep Ganesh, Tim David, Sarbjeet Ladda, Dewald Brevis, Hammad Azam, Nosthush Kenjige, Jason Behrendorff, Ehsan Adil, Monank Patel, Shayan Jahangir, Kyle Phillip
LA Knight Riders
LA Knight Riders are owned by Kolkata Knight Riders. This team belonging to the US west coast will have top players from the KKR franchise. The likes of Jason Roy and Andre Russell have already been roped in. Besides them, promising Indian cricketers who relocated to the US like Unmukt Chand also found a place in the initial squad.
Prominent US cricketer Ali Khan will also feature alongside international names like Sunil Narine and Martin Guptill.
LA Knight Riders Squad
Sunil Narine (captain), Unmukt Chand, Martin Guptill, Andre Russell, Corne Dry, Jason Roy, Adam Zampa, Lockie Ferguson, Rilee Rossouw, Spencer Johnson, Ali Khan, Jaskaran Malhotra, Ali Sheikh, Nitish Kumar, Gajanand Singh, Saif Badar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Bhaskar Yadram
Texas Super Kings
Owned by Chennai Super Kings’ India Cements, Texas has some great players in their ranks. These are Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, David Miller, and Devon Conway. They also have some awesome bowlers: Dwayne Bravo and Daniel Sams. They also have a spinner in Mitchell Santner who can come handy on US pitches. The team also has some promising American cricketers. They surely can pack a solid punch.
Texas Super Kings Squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Saiteja Mukkamalla, David Miller, Gerald Coetzee, Imran Tahir, Devon Conway, Lahiru Milantha, Mitchell Santner, Daniel Sams, Cameron Stevenson, Rusty Theron, Calvin Savage, Milind Kumar, Dwayne Bravo, Sami Aslam, Cody Chetty, Zia Shahzad, Mohammad Mohsin
Seattle Orcas
Owned by GMR group, Seattle has Quinton de Kock who can be an excellent bet as a wicket-keeper-cum-captain-cum-opening batter. Nevertheless, they also have some great names: Wayne Parnell, Dasun Shanaka, and Heinrich Klaasen. The team also has exciting players like Shehan Jayasuriya, Harmeet Singh, etc. Moreover, they also have specialist T20 bowlers like Andrew Tye.
Seattle Orcas Squad
Wayne Parnell (captain), Hayden Walsh Jr, Quinton de Kock, Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, Nisarg Patel, Heinrich Klaasen, Matthew Tromp, Harmeet Singh, Angelo Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Shimron Hetmyer, Dwaine Pretorius, Shubham Ranjane, Cameron Gannon, Aaron Jones, Nauman Anwar, Phani Simhadri, Imad Wasim
Washington Freedom
Owned by Sanjay Govil, this franchise has already acquired some exciting overseas players. The Washington-based franchise has acquired Australia’s Moises Henriques and South Africa’s Anrich Nortje. They also have the likes of Marco Jansen and Glenn Phillps who can turn the game around single-handedly. The team also has USA international Saurabh Netravalkar.
Washington Freedom Squad
Moises Henriques (captain), Tanveer Sangha, Ben Dwarshuis, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Glenn Phillips, Akeal Hosein, Adam Milne, Josh Philippe, Andries Gous, Mukhtar Ahmed, Obus Pienaar, Saurabh Netravalkar, Saad Ali, Dane Piedt, Sujith Gowda, Justin Dill, Akhilesh Bodugum, Usman Rafiq
San Francisco Unicorns
Owned by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, the team will see some top performers from IPL. These are Aaron Finch, Corey Anderson, and Marcus Stoinis. Besides, they have also acquired top Indian talent based out of the US alongside Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan..
San Francisco Unicorns Squad
Aaron Finch (captain), Mackenzie Harvey, Finn Allen, Marcus Stoinis, Amila Aponso, Brody Couch, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Lungi Ngidi, Matthew Wade, Qais Ahmad, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Liam Plunkett, Tajinder Singh, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Carmi Le Roux, Corey Anderson, David White, Smit Patel
Concluding Thoughts
Major League cricket is a first-of-its-kind professional league exclusively sanctioned by USA Cricket. The league will not only feature top T20 cricketers across the globe but will also provide a great platform for young American talent where they could prove themselves. Also, they will rub shoulders with big names which will help them in their cricket journey.