Get ready for the action-packed debut of Major League Cricket (MLC) as it kicks off on July 13, 2023. The organisers have officially released the tournament schedule, featuring 19 thrilling matches, including playoffs.
MLC not only marks the grand entry of USA Cricket onto the global cricket stage but also offers a glimpse of the sport’s growth in the country. The USA is slated to co-host the 2024 T20 World Cup alongside the West Indies.
MLC will commence with an exhilarating clash between two IPL-based franchises, the Texas Super Kings and the Los Angeles Knight Riders. The squads for all six franchises were formed through the inaugural draft held in Texas back in March 2023, comprising a mix of renowned international players and promising local talents.
The tournament is divided into two legs, starting with an opening weekend that features eight matches at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. Two matches will be held in the afternoon at 3:30 pm (Central Daylight Time), while the remaining matches will be evening encounters at 7:30 pm (Central Daylight Time).
The following seven league matches will take place at Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina. All matches at this venue will kick off at 5:30 pm (Eastern Daylight Time).
Here’s the complete schedule of MLC:
Four of the six franchises will qualify for the playoffs. The knockout stage will feature four matches, including the final, with the remaining matches called Eliminator, Qualifier, and Challenger.
Here is the list of franchises participating in MLC 2023:
Texas Super Kings
Seattle Orcas
MI New York
San Francisco Unicorns
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Washington Freedom
Here is a look at the squads after the first round of MLC draft:
Texas Super Kings
Rusty Theron, bowler | Age: 37
Calvin Savage, all-rounder | Age: 30
Lahiru Milantha, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 28
Milind Kumar, batter | Age: 32
Sami Aslam, batter | Age: 27
Cameron Stevenson, bowler | Age: 30
Cody Chetty, batter | Age: 31
Zia Shahzad, all-rounder | Age: 26
Saiteja Mukkamalla, batter | Age: 18
Seattle Orcas
Harmeet Singh, all-rounder | Age: 30
Shehan Jayasuriya, batter | Age: 31
Shubham Ranjane, all-rounder | Age: 28
Cameron Gannon, all-rounder | Age: 34
Aaron Jones, batter | Age: 28
Nauman Anwar, batter | Age: 27
Phani Simhadri, bowler | Age: 31
Angelo Perera, batter | Age: 33
Matthew Tromp, bowler | Age: 17
International signings: Quinton de Kock, Mitchell Marsh
MI New York
Steven Taylor, Batter | Age: 29
Hammad Azam, all-rounder | Age: 32
Ehsan Adil, bowler | Age: 30
Nosthush Kenjige, bowler | Age: 32
Monank Patel, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 29
Sarbjeet Singh Ladda, bowler | Age: 36
Shayan Jahangir, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 31
Kyle Phillip, bowler | Age: 26
Saideep Ganesh, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 22
San Francisco Unicorns
Corey Anderson, all-rounder | Age: 32
Liam Plunkett, bowler | Age: 37
Tajinder Singh, batter | Age: 30
Chaitanya Bishnoi, batter | Age: 28
Carmi Le Roux, bowler | Age: 29
Brody Couch, bowler | Age: 23
David White, batter | Age: 31
Smit Patel, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 29
Sanjay Krishnamurthi, all-rounder | Age: 19
International signings: Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis.
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Ali Khan, bowler | Age: 32
Unmukt Chand, batter | Age: 29
Jaskaran Malhotra, batter | Age: 33
Nitish Kumar, batter | Age: 28
Corne Dry, bowler | Age: 30
Ali Sheikh, all-rounder | Age: 20
Saif Badar, batter | Age: 24
Shadley Van Schalkwyk, all-rounder | Age: 34
Bhaskar Yadram, all-rounder | Age: 23
Washington Freedom
Andries Gous, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 29
Mukhtar Ahmed, batter | Age: 30
Obus Pienaar, batter | Age: 33
Saurabh Netravalkar, bowler | Age: 31
Saad Ali, batter | Age: 29
Dane Piedt, bowler | Age: 33
Sujith Gowda, batter | Age: 26
Justin Dill, bowler | Age: 28
Akhilesh Bodugum, bowler | Age: 22
International signings: Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga
