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Major League Cricket Teams (Complete Guide): List of Players, MLC Draft, Squads, Stadiums, and More!

May 27, 2023 | USA Cricket

What are the names of Major League Cricket teams? Who are the owners of MLC teams in the USA? Which IPL teams are the Major League Cricket teams affiliated with?

We will answer all of these burning questions for you today.

Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings, and Washington Freedom are the six teams that will compete in the three-week Major League Cricket (MLC) T20 tournament to be held in Dallas, Texas, USA in July 2023.

Key Takeaways

  • The average age of Major League Cricket players is 29.
  • From the 54 domestic players in the MLC draft, 19 players were from Indian origin (2 born in USA, 17 born in India), 12 are from South Africa, 11 from Pakistan, 3 Australia, 3 Sri Lanka, 2 USA, 2 West Indies, 1 New Zealand, 1 England, and 1 UAE.
  • 4 Major League Cricket teams are affiliated with IPL teams (LA Knight Riders, MI New York, Seattle Orcas (with Delhi capitals), and Texas Super Kings.
  • 2 Major League Cricket teams are partnered with Australian domestic sides (San Francisco Unicorns – with Cricket Victoria, Washington DC Freedom – with New South Wales)

List of Major League Cricket Teams

1. Los Angeles Knight Riders

  • Home Ground: Orange County Stadium (planning stage)
  • IPL Franchise: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
  • Owners: Knight Riders Group

LA Knight Riders Complete Squad

  • Unmukt Chand, Ali Sheikh, Nitish Kumar, Corne Dry, Jaskaran Malhotra, Saif Badar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Ali Khan, Bhaskar Yadram

LA Knight Riders Overseas Players

  • Jason Roy (England), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill (New Zealand), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine (West Indies), Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Adam Zampa (Australia)
  • Wildcard: Gajanand Singh

Coaches

Coaches: Phil Simmons (Head Coach), Ryan Ten Doeschate (Assistant Coach), Bharat Arun (Bowling Coach)

Support Staff: Sagar VM (Strength & Conditioning), Prasanth Panchada (Physio), Ruel Rigsby (Physio), AR Srikkanth (Analyst), Wayne Bentley (Team Manager)

2. MI New York

  • Home Ground: New York Oval – New York, Marine Park – Brooklyn, Spring Creek Park – Queens, Aqueduct Racetrack – Queens (shortlisted – planning stage)
  • IPL Franchise: Mumbai Indians (MI)
  • Owners: Indiawin Sports Private Limited (under Reliance)

MINY Complete Squad

  • Steven Taylor, Hammad Azam, Ehsan Adil, Nosthush Kenjige, Monank Patel, Sarbjeet Ladda, Shayan Jahangir, Kyle Phillip, Saideep Ganesh
  • Wildcard: Jasdeep Singh

MINY Overseas Players

  • Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Tim David, Jason Behrendorff (Australia), Dewald Brevis, Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), David Wiese (Namibia), Trent Boult (New Zealand)

Coaches

Coaches: Robin Peterson (Head Coach), Lasith Malinga (Bowling Coach), James Pamment (Fielding Coach), J Arun Kumar (Batting Coach)

Support Staff: Pratik Kadam (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Amit Shah (Sports Massage Therapist), Murtaza Hussain (Assistant Fielding Coach), Jason Pilgrim (Physiotherapist), Rushi Shahiwala (Assistant Physiotherapist), L Varun (Data Performance Manager)

3. San Francisco Unicorns

  • Home Ground: Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Stadium – San Jose, California (planning stage)
  • IPL Franchise: None (affilated with Cricket Victoria, Australia)
  • Owners: Anand Rajaraman, Venky Harinarayan

SF Unicorns Complete Unicorns Squad

  • Corey Anderson, Liam Plunkett, Tajinder Singh, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Brody Couch, David White, Smit Patel, Sanjay Krishnmurthi, Carmi Le Roux
  • Wildcard: Amila Aponso

SF Unicorns Overseas Players

  • Aaron Finch*, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Mackenzie Harvey (Australia), Lungi Ngidi (South Africa), Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan), Finn Allen (New Zealand), Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan (Pakistan)
  • Shane Watson (Coach)

*captain

4. Seattle Orcas

  • Home Ground: Marymoor Park – Redmond, Washington (planning stage)
  • IPL Franchise: Delhi Capitals
  • Owners: GMR (Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao) Group, Jindal Sports West, Satya Nadella, Soma Somasegar, Samir Bodas, Ashok Krishnamurthi, Sanjay ParthasarthyOr

Orcas Complete Squad

  • Harmeet Singh, Shehan Jayasuriya, Shubham Ranjane, Cameron Gannon, Aaron Jones, Nauman Anwar, Phani Simhadri, Angelo Perera, Matthew Tromp
  • Wildcard: Nisarg Patel

Orcas Overseas Players

  • Sikandar Raza – withdrawn (Zimbabwe), Andrew Tye (Australia), Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Quinton de Kock, Wayne Parnell, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius (South Africa) , Shimron Hetmyer (West Indies), Izharulhaq Naveed (Afghanistan)

Batting Coach: Ross Taylor, Bowling Coach: Johan Botha

5. Texas Super Kings

  • Home Ground: Grand Prairie Stadium – Dallas, Texas
  • IPL Franchise: Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
  • Owners: Ross Perot Jr., CSK

TSK Complete Squad

  • Rusty Theron, Calvin Salvage, Lahiru Milantha, Milind Kumar, Sami Aslam, Cameron Stevenson, Cody Chetty, Zia Shahzad, Saiteja Mukkamalla
  • Wildcard: Mohammad Mohsin

TSK Overseas Players

  • Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), Daniel Sams (Australia), Faf du Plessis*, David Miller, Gerald Coetzee (South Africa), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Ambati Rayudu (India)

Texas Super Kings Coaches

  • Coaches: Stephen Fleming (Head Coach), Eric Simons (Assistant Coach), Albie Morkel (Assistant Coach), Russell Radhakrishnan (Team Manager)
  • Support Staff: Gregory King (Strength & Conditioning), Lakshmi Narayanan (High Performance Analyst), Tommy Simsek (Physiotherapist)

6. Washington (DC) Freedom

  • Home Ground: George Mason University
  • IPL Franchise: None (Affiliated with Cricket New South Wales, Australia)
  • Owners: Sanjay Govill

DC Freedom Complete Squad

  • Andries Gous, Mukhtar Ahmed, Obus Pienaar, Saurabh Netravalkar, Saad Ali, Dane Piedt, Sujith Gowda, Justin Dill, Akhilesh Bodugum
  • Wildcard: Usman Rafiq

DC Freedom Overseas Players

  • Moises Henriques*, Ben Dwarshuis, Tanveer Sangha (Australia), Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen (South Africa), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Glenn Phillips, Adam Milne (New Zealand)

*captain

Bowling Coach: Dale Steyn

For other articles for cricket in America and Major League Cricket (MLC), check out the following:

  1. 14 Overseas Cricketers in Major League Cricket (MLC) in USA
  2. Major League Cricket Schedule, Fixtures, Venues: Where to Buy Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023 Tickets?
  3. What is the Salary of a Major League Cricket player in the USA?
  4. 76 American Cricketers Who Left Their Countries and Moved to Play Cricket in the USA
  5. How Many Cricket Stadiums are there in the USA?
  6. USA Cricket—The Complete Guide to Cricket in America (Updated 2023)
  7. Avinash’s Club Cricket Journey in America: an Interview

Major League Cricket – MLC 2023 Draft: List of Players (As It Happened)

The nine rounds of draft picks are summarized below. Since most players are from foreign origin or have changed nationalities late in their careers, the country of origin and age is added to the name.

Note, a tenth ‘Wildcard’ pick will be determined from the 2023 Minor League Cricket season.

MLC Draft Round 1 ($75,000)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Harmeet SinghSeattle OrcasSeattle ThunderboltsIndia30
Andries GousWashington FreedomSeattle ThunderboltsSouth Africa29
Steven TaylorMI New YorkAtlanta FireUSA29
Corey AndersonSan Francisco UnicornsIrving MustangsNew Zealand32
Ali KhanLos Angeles Knight RidersHouston HurricanesPakistan32
Rusty TheronTexas Super KingsEast Bay BlazersSouth Africa37

MLC Draft Round 2 ($65,000)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Calvin SavageTexas Super KingsChicago TigersSouth Africa30
Unmukt ChandLos Angeles Knight RidersSilicon Valley StrikersIndia29
Liam PlunkettSan Francisco UnicornsThe PhiladelphiansEngland37
Hammad AzamMI New YorkGolden State GrizzliesPakistan32
Mukhtar AhmedWashington FreedomAtlanta FirePakistan30
Shehan JayasuriyaSeattle OrcasSilicon Valley StrikersSri Lanka31

MLC Draft Round 3 ($50,000)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Shubham RanjaneSeattle OrcasSeattle ThunderboltsIndia28
Obus PienaarWashington FreedomMorrisville RaptorsSouth Africa33
Ehsan AdilMI New YorkGolden State GrizzliesPakistan30
Tajinder SinghSan Francisco UnicornsKingsmenIndia30
Jaskaran MalhotraLos Angeles Knight RidersMorrisville RaptorsIndia33
Lahiru MilanthaTexas Super KingsMorrisville RaptorsSri Lanka28

MLC Draft Round 4 ($40,000)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Milind KumarTexas Super KingsThe PhiladelphiansIndia32
Nitish KumarLos Angeles Knight RidersLone Star AthleticsIndia28
Chaitanya BishnoiSan Francisco UnicornsKingsmen India28
Nosthush KenjigeMI New YorkIrving MustangsIndia (born in USA, family from India)32
Saurabh NetravalkarWashington FreedomSilicon Valley StrikersIndia31
Cameron GannonSeattle OrcasAustralia34

MLC Draft Round 5 ($35,000)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Aaron JonesSeattle OrcasAtlanta FireUSA28
Saad AliWashington FreedomMichigan Cricket StarsPakistan29
Monank PatelMI New YorkEmpire State TitansIndia29
Carmi Le RouxSan Francisco UnicornsEast Bay BlazersSouth Africa29
Corne DryLos Angeles Knight RidersAtlanta FireSouth Africa30
Sami AslamTexas Super KingsGolden State GrizzliesPakistan27

MLC Draft Round 6 ($25,000)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Cameron StevensonTexas Super KingsAustralia30
Ali SheikhLos Angeles Knight RidersIrving MustangsUSA (born in Doha)20
Brody CouchSan Francisco UnicornsAtlanta FireAustralia23
Sarbjeet Singh LaddaMI New YorkDC HawksIndia36
Dane PiedtWashington FreedomMorrisville RaptorsSouth Africa33
Nauman AnwarSeattle OrcasMichigan Cricket StarsPakistan27

MLC Draft Round 7 ($15,000)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Phani SimhadriSeattle OrcasSeattle ThunderboltsIndia31
Sujith GowdaWashington FreedomIrving MustangsIndia26
Shayan JahangirMI New YorkLone Star AthleticsPakistan31
David WhiteSan Francisco UnicornsEast Bay BlazersSouth Africa31
Saif BadarLos Angeles Knight RidersAtlanta FirePakistan24
Cody ChettyTexas Super KingsHollywood Master BlastersSouth Africa31

MLC Draft Round 8 ($10,000)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Zia ShahzadTexas Super KingsAtlanta FirePakistan26
Shadley Van SchalkwykLos Angeles Knight RidersSeattle ThunderboltsSouth Africa34
Smit PatelSan Francisco UnicornsManhattan YorkersIndia29
Usman Rafiq*MI New YorkHouston HurricanesPakistan34
Kyle PhillipMI New YorkAtlanta LightningWest Indies (Trinidad)26
Justin DillWashington FreedomSt. Louis AmericansSouth Africa28
Angelo PereraSeattle OrcasEast Bay BlazersSri Lanka33

*Usman Rafiq no longer shows up on MLC website but Kyle Phillip does (maybe Phillip is a replacement for Rafiq).

MLC Draft Round 9 ($2,500)

PlayerFranchiseMinor League TeamCountryAge
Matthew TrompSeattle OrcasHouston HurricanesSouth Africa18
Akhilesh BodugumWashington FreedomAtlanta FireIndia 22
Saideep GaneshMI New YorkGolden State GrizzliesIndia 22
Sanjay KrishnamurthiSan Francisco UnicornsEast Bay BlazersIndia 19
Bhaskar YadramLos Angeles Knight RidersManhattan YorkersWest Indies (Guyana)23
Saiteja MukkamallaTexas Super KingsNew Jersey StallionsUSA (Indian origin)18

Frequently Asked Questions – Major League Cricket Teams

How many teams will play in Major League Cricket 2023?

Six teams will play in Major League Cricket 2023 – Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings, and Washington (DC) Freedom.

Where will Major League Cricket 2023 be held?

Major League Cricket 2023 will be held in Grand Prairie, Texas (near Dallas).

When will Major League Cricket 2023 be held?

Major League Cricket 2023 will be held between July 13-July 30th.

Sources: Coming to America: New South Wales signs deal with Major League Cricket, Owners of Mumbai Indians, CSK, Delhi Capitals to own teams in USA’s Major League Cricket, The Picks Are In! MLC 2023 Domestic Player Draft Recap – Major League Cricket

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 05/23/2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Nitesh Mathur

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