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.
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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)
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)
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)
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:
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)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Harmeet Singh
Seattle Orcas
Seattle Thunderbolts
India
30
Andries Gous
Washington Freedom
Seattle Thunderbolts
South Africa
29
Steven Taylor
MI New York
Atlanta Fire
USA
29
Corey Anderson
San Francisco Unicorns
Irving Mustangs
New Zealand
32
Ali Khan
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Houston Hurricanes
Pakistan
32
Rusty Theron
Texas Super Kings
East Bay Blazers
South Africa
37
MLC Draft Round 2 ($65,000)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Calvin Savage
Texas Super Kings
Chicago Tigers
South Africa
30
Unmukt Chand
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Silicon Valley Strikers
India
29
Liam Plunkett
San Francisco Unicorns
The Philadelphians
England
37
Hammad Azam
MI New York
Golden State Grizzlies
Pakistan
32
Mukhtar Ahmed
Washington Freedom
Atlanta Fire
Pakistan
30
Shehan Jayasuriya
Seattle Orcas
Silicon Valley Strikers
Sri Lanka
31
MLC Draft Round 3 ($50,000)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Shubham Ranjane
Seattle Orcas
Seattle Thunderbolts
India
28
Obus Pienaar
Washington Freedom
Morrisville Raptors
South Africa
33
Ehsan Adil
MI New York
Golden State Grizzlies
Pakistan
30
Tajinder Singh
San Francisco Unicorns
Kingsmen
India
30
Jaskaran Malhotra
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Morrisville Raptors
India
33
Lahiru Milantha
Texas Super Kings
Morrisville Raptors
Sri Lanka
28
MLC Draft Round 4 ($40,000)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Milind Kumar
Texas Super Kings
The Philadelphians
India
32
Nitish Kumar
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Lone Star Athletics
India
28
Chaitanya Bishnoi
San Francisco Unicorns
Kingsmen
India
28
Nosthush Kenjige
MI New York
Irving Mustangs
India (born in USA, family from India)
32
Saurabh Netravalkar
Washington Freedom
Silicon Valley Strikers
India
31
Cameron Gannon
Seattle Orcas
–
Australia
34
MLC Draft Round 5 ($35,000)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Aaron Jones
Seattle Orcas
Atlanta Fire
USA
28
Saad Ali
Washington Freedom
Michigan Cricket Stars
Pakistan
29
Monank Patel
MI New York
Empire State Titans
India
29
Carmi Le Roux
San Francisco Unicorns
East Bay Blazers
South Africa
29
Corne Dry
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Atlanta Fire
South Africa
30
Sami Aslam
Texas Super Kings
Golden State Grizzlies
Pakistan
27
MLC Draft Round 6 ($25,000)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Cameron Stevenson
Texas Super Kings
–
Australia
30
Ali Sheikh
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Irving Mustangs
USA (born in Doha)
20
Brody Couch
San Francisco Unicorns
Atlanta Fire
Australia
23
Sarbjeet Singh Ladda
MI New York
DC Hawks
India
36
Dane Piedt
Washington Freedom
Morrisville Raptors
South Africa
33
Nauman Anwar
Seattle Orcas
Michigan Cricket Stars
Pakistan
27
MLC Draft Round 7 ($15,000)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Phani Simhadri
Seattle Orcas
Seattle Thunderbolts
India
31
Sujith Gowda
Washington Freedom
Irving Mustangs
India
26
Shayan Jahangir
MI New York
Lone Star Athletics
Pakistan
31
David White
San Francisco Unicorns
East Bay Blazers
South Africa
31
Saif Badar
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Atlanta Fire
Pakistan
24
Cody Chetty
Texas Super Kings
Hollywood Master Blasters
South Africa
31
MLC Draft Round 8 ($10,000)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Zia Shahzad
Texas Super Kings
Atlanta Fire
Pakistan
26
Shadley Van Schalkwyk
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Seattle Thunderbolts
South Africa
34
Smit Patel
San Francisco Unicorns
Manhattan Yorkers
India
29
Usman Rafiq*
MI New York
Houston Hurricanes
Pakistan
34
Kyle Phillip
MI New York
Atlanta Lightning
West Indies (Trinidad)
26
Justin Dill
Washington Freedom
St. Louis Americans
South Africa
28
Angelo Perera
Seattle Orcas
East Bay Blazers
Sri Lanka
33
*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)
Player
Franchise
Minor League Team
Country
Age
Matthew Tromp
Seattle Orcas
Houston Hurricanes
South Africa
18
Akhilesh Bodugum
Washington Freedom
Atlanta Fire
India
22
Saideep Ganesh
MI New York
Golden State Grizzlies
India
22
Sanjay Krishnamurthi
San Francisco Unicorns
East Bay Blazers
India
19
Bhaskar Yadram
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Manhattan Yorkers
West Indies (Guyana)
23
Saiteja Mukkamalla
Texas Super Kings
New Jersey Stallions
USA (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.
Today we will discuss the salary of a Major League Cricket player in the USA.
When it comes to professional sports in America, we often think of baseball, basketball, and football as the top dogs.
But there’s a new player in town that’s been gaining international attention: Cricket. Major League Cricket has been making waves in the sports world, especially with the growing popularity of T20 cricket. However, there’s one question on every cricket fan’s mind: just how much do these players make?
MLC Cricketer Salary – By the Numbers
The average salary of a Major League Cricket player (MLC) is $60,526 (maximum 19 players in squad with a purse of $1.15 million).
The average salary for a domestic Major League cricketer is $39,375 ($315,000 purse for a total of 8 domestic players). The average salary for an overseas MLC cricketer is $92,200 ($830,000 for nine overseas slots).
About $320,000 from the $1.15 million will be spent on the ten domestic players. Hence, $830,000 is remaining in the purse of each team to sign the nine overseas players. Note, that this amount may be skewed. According to a Daily Mail report, Jason Roy has been offered 300,000 pounds ($372,000) on a 2-year contract ($186,000/year). This means that LA Knight Riders, who signed Jason Roy, will be left with about $644,000 for their remaining 8 overseas signing (for an average of $80,500 per overseas player).
Major League Cricket (MLC) – How Much Was Each Draft Pick?
The Major League Cricket (MLC) draft was held earlier this year in the NASA Space Center in Houston.
The draft picks ranged from $10,000 (8th round pick) to $75,000 (1st round pick). Rookies were drafted in the 9th round (reportedly around $2,500) and an additional tenth player will be picked for each team following the Minor League Cricket (MiLC) season preceding the MLC.
Draft Pick
Salary Amount
Round 1
$75,000
Round 2
$65,000
Round 3
$50,000
Round 4
$40,000
Round 5
$35,000
Round 6
$25,000
Round 7
$15,000
Round 8
$10,000
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MLC Draft Picks – Salary of Major League Cricket Player
1. First Round Draft Pick ($75,000)
Harmeet Singh (Seattle Orcas), Andries Gous (Washington Freedom), Steven Taylor (MI New York), Corey Anderson (San Francisco Unicorns), Ali Khan (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Rusty Theron (Texas Super Kings)
2. Second Round Draft Pick ($65,000)
Shehan Jayasuriya (Seattle Orcas), Mukhtar Ahmed (Washington Freedom), Hammad Azam (MI New York), Liam Plunkett (San Francisco Unicorns), Unmukt Chand (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Calvin Salvage (Texas Super Kings)
3. Third Round Draft Pick ($50,000)
Shubham Ranjane (Seattle Orcas), Obus Pienaar (Washington Freedom), Ehsan Adil (MI New York), Tajinder Singh (San Francisco Unicorns), Jaskaran Malhotra (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Lahiru Milantha (Texas Super Kings)
4. Fourth Round Draft Pick ($40,000)
Cameron Gannon (Seattle Orcas), Saurabh Netravalkar (Washington Freedom), Nosthush Kenjige (MI New York), Chaitanya Bishnoi (San Francisco Unicorns), Nitish Kumar (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Milind Kumar (Texas Super Kings)
5. Fifth Round Draft Pick ($35,000)
Aaron Jones (Seattle Orcas), Saad Ali (Washington Freedom), Monank Patel (MI New York), Carmi Le Roux (San Francisco Unicorns), Corne Dry (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Sami Aslam (Texas Super Kings)
6. Sixth Round Draft Pick ($25,000)
Nauman Anwar (Seattle Orcas), Dane Piedt (Washington Freedom), Sarbjeet Singh Ladda (MI New York), Brody Couch (San Francisco Unicorns), Ali Sheikh (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Cameron Stevenson (Texas Super Kings)
7. Seventh Round Draft Pick ($15,000)
Phani Simhadri (Seattle Orcas), Sujith Gowda (Washington Freedom), Shayan Jahangir (MI New York), David White (San Francisco Unicorns), Saif Badar (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Cody Chetty (Texas Super Kings)
8. Eighth Round Draft Pick ($10,000)
Angelo Perera (Seattle Orcas), Justin Dill (Washington Freedom), Kyle Phillip (MI New York), Smit Patel (San Francisco Unicorns), Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Zia Shahzad (Texas Super Kings)
9. Ninth Round Draft Pick ($2,500)
Matthew Tromp (Seattle Orcas), Akhilesh Bodugum (Washington Freedom), Saideep Ganesh (MI New York), Sanjay Krishnamurthi (San Francisco Unicorns), Bhaskar Yadram (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Saiteja Mukkamalla (Texas Super Kings)
10. Overseas Signings ($60,000-$372,000)
The exact amounts for the overseas signings have not been disclosed yet. These are estimates based on reports and the purse allocated to each team.
Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, Marco Jansen, Glenn Phillips, Adam Milne (Washington Freedom)
Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis (San Francisco Unicorns)
Quinton de Kock, Wayne Parnell, Dasun Shanaka, Sikandar Raza (Seattle Orcas)
In conclusion, Major League Cricket players in the USA will be making a decent amount of money from MLC, a league that lasts only three weeks.
The average salary for a professional cricketer in the league ranges from $25,000 to $75,000, with the top players earning considerably more. While it may not match the salary of some of the top athletes in America, it is impressive for a sport that’s still finding its footing in the country.
As a fan of the sport, it’s exciting to see the potential for growth and success in Major League Cricket, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these talented athletes. With cricket’s popularity on the rise, it’s not a stretch to say that the league’s players could one day be just as well-compensated as their counterparts in football and baseball.
What is the average salary for a Major League Cricket (MLC) player in the USA?
The average salary of a Major League Cricket (MLC) player is $60,526. Each MLC team has a purse of $1.15 million for 19 players total (10 domestic, 9 overseas).
Is Major League Cricket (MLC) the richest cricket league in the world?
No, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the richest cricket league in the world. The MLC is the sixth richest cricket league in the world (based on average player salary).
How much money does Unmukt Chand earn in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA?
Unmukt Chand was picked for $65,000 as he was a second-round pick for the LA Knight Riders in the MLC player draft.
Who was the most expensive player in the MLC draft?
Harmeet Singh, Andries Gous, Steven Taylor, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, and Rusty Theron were the most expensive players. They each earned $75,000 as the first draft picks.
Which overseas cricketers will play in Major League Cricket (MLC) to be held in the United States later this summer? Jason Roy, Faf du Plessis, Anrich Nortje, Aaron Finch, Quinton de Kock, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Sikandar Raza are some of the high-profile overseas players who will play in MLC.
The MLC draft held at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas started proceedings in March.
Creating a unique blend of talent and entertainment, Major League Cricket (MLC) in USA has signed up 11 overseas cricketers already. From Australia’s explosive captain Aaron Finch to South African wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock, MLC have added some major stars to their line-up.
With a total of 54 overseas spots open (6 teams, 9 overseas slots per squad), more such high-profile signings are just around the corner.
Key Takeaways
13 cricketers from South Africa, 12 from Australia, 8 from New Zealand, 7 from West Indies, 3 from Afghanistan, 2 from Pakistan, 2 from West Indies, 1 from England, 1 from India, 1 from Namibia, and 1 from Zimbabwe have signed for Major League Cricket (MLC) so far.
9 overseas players can be added to each Major League Cricket squad, but only 7 of them can feature in the XI.
Ross Taylor (batting coach – Seattle Orcas), Johan Botha (bowling coach – Seattle Orcas), & Stephen Fleming (Head coach – Texas Super Kings), Albie Morkel (Assistant coach – Texas Super Kings), Shane Watson (coach – San Francisco Unicorns), Dale Steyn (Bowling Coach – Washington Freedom) are other high-profile foreign cricketers who will be involved with Major League Cricket (MLC).
Steve Smith has signed up as an ‘ambassador’ with the Washington Freedom team, but will not feature in the 2023 inaugural MLC edition.
Wanindu Hasaranga, Sikandar Raza, and Ambati Rayudu have since withdrawn from the tournament.
List of Overseas Cricketers in Major League Cricket (MLC)
Here is the list of overseas cricketers who have been signed in MLC.
Note: Unmukt Chand, Dane Piedt, Corey Anderson, Liam Plunkett, Shehan Jayasuriya, Rusty Theron, Sami Aslam, etc. qualify as domestic players.
Other Franchise Teams: Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sydney Sixers
Role: Right Arm Medium/Right Hand Bat (All Rounder)
Other Franchise Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rising Pune Supergiants, Sydney Thunder, Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Strikers, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, Dubai Capitals, Welsh Fire
Other Franchise Teams: Chennai Super Kings, Joburg Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Comilla Victorians, Jaffna Kings, Melbourne Renegades, Northern Superchargers, Paarl Rocks, Perth Scorchers, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Kings, Titans
Other Franchise Teams: Lahore Qalandars, Melbourne Stars
Role: Right Arm Fast Bowler
48. Shadab Khan (San Francisco Unicorns)
International Team: Pakistan
Other Franchise Teams: Islamabad United, Brisbane Heat, Dhaka Platoon, Edmonton Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Hobart Hurricanes, Khulna Tigers, Sydney Sixers, Trinbago Knight Riders
Role: Right Arm Leg break/ Right-Hand Batter (All Rounder)
49. Tanveer Sangha (Washington Freedom)
International Team: Australia (has not debuted yet)
Other Franchise Teams: Sydney Thunder, Birmingham phoenix
Role: Right Arm Leg Break
50. Shimron Hetmyer (Seattle Orcas)
International Team: West Indies
IPL Team: Rajasthan Royals
Other Franchise Teams: Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Quetta Gladiators, Multan Sultans, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Gulf Giants
Role: Left-Hand Batter
51. Dwaine Pretorius (Seattle Orcas)
International Team: South Africa (now retired)
Other Franchise Teams: Chennai Super Kings, Durban Super Giants, Quetta Gladiators, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Welsh Fire
Role: Right Arm Fast/Right-Hand Batter (All-Rounder)
Final Thoughts
Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA has attracted some of the biggest names in world cricket, with 48 overseas cricketers making the cut and showing their skills on the big stage.
The likes of Aaron Finch, Quinton de Kock, and many other prominent figures are sure to bring a dynamic dimension to the tournament and make it an exciting affair. The level of competition is sure to be high, as teams battle for the title of MLC champions. Fans can expect plenty of action in this highly anticipated tournament!
Which overseas cricketers would you like to see play in Major League Cricket?
Frequently Asked Questions: Overseas Cricketers in Major League Cricket
How many overseas players can a MLC team have in their squads?
Each Major League Cricket (MLC) team is allowed to have 9 overseas players in their squads along with 10 domestic cricketers.
Which country has most players in Major League Cricket as overseas players?
So far, 12 South African cricketers have been signed as overseas signings in MLC 2023.
Which Major League Cricket (MLC) team has signed the most overseas players?
Washington Freedom has so far signed 7 high-profile signings so far. Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, Marco Jansen, Glenn Phillips, Adam Milne, Moises Henriques, and Ben Dwarshuis.
How many overseas players can play in a XI of a Major League Cricket (MLC) match?
Up to six players can play in a MLC match, while nine overseas cricketers can be signed in the squad.
