The first ever Major League Cricket (MLC) domestic player draft has concluded at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, with the six founding teams selecting their first nine roster picks for the upcoming inaugural season.
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The draft featured an exciting mix of young talents and established international players, ensuring a high level of competition for the first season of American professional cricket.
Among the top picks were former India U-19 stars Harmeet Singh, Smit Patel, and Unmukt Chand, who will be looking to make an impact in their new teams. Current international players, such as Quinton de Kock, Mitchell Marsh, and Marcus Stoinis, were also selected, adding valuable experience to the mix.
Major League Cricket (MLC) Teams
The inaugural season includes four IPL franchises namely Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals that own teams in MLC 2023. The six founding MLC teams are:
- Los Angeles Knight Riders
- Seattle Orcas
- MI New York
- Team Texas
- Washington Freedom
- San Francisco Unicorns
Draft Picks by Team
Seattle Orcas
Round 1: Harmeet Singh, all-rounder | Age: 30
Round 2: Shehan Jayasuriya, batter | Age: 31
Round 3: Shubham Ranjane, all-rounder | Age: 28
Round 4: Cameron Gannon, all-rounder | Age: 34
Round 5: Aaron Jones, batter | Age: 28
Round 6: Nauman Anwar, batter | Age: 27
Round 7: Phani Simhadri, bowler | Age: 31
Round 8: Angelo Perera, batter | Age: 33
Round 9: Matthew Tromp, bowler | Age: 17
Washington Freedom
Round 1: Andries Gous, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 29
Round 2: Mukhtar Ahmed, batter | Age: 30
Round 3: Obus Pienaar, batter | Age: 33
Round 4: Saurabh Netravalkar, bowler | Age: 31
Round 5: Saad Ali, batter | Age: 29
Round 6: Dane Piedt, bowler | Age: 33
Round 7: Sujith Gowda, batter | Age: 26
Round 8: Justin Dill, bowler | Age: 28
Round 9: Akhilesh Bodugum, bowler | Age: 22
MI New York
Round 1: Steven Taylor, Batter | Age: 29
Round 2: Hammad Azam, all-rounder | Age: 32
Round 3: Ehsan Adil, bowler | Age: 30
Round 4: Nosthush Kenjige, bowler | Age: 32
Round 5: Monank Patel, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 29
Round 6: Sarbjeet Singh Ladda, bowler | Age: 36
Round 7: Shayan Jahangir, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 31
Round 8: Kyle Phillip, bowler | Age: 26
Round 9: Saideep Ganesh, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 22
San Francisco Unicorns
Round 1: Corey Anderson, all-rounder | Age: 32
Round 2: Liam Plunkett, bowler | Age: 37
Round 3: Tajinder Singh, batter | Age: 30
Round 4: Chaitanya Bishnoi, batter | Age: 28
Round 5: Carmi Le Roux, bowler | Age: 29
Round 6: Brody Couch, bowler | Age: 23
Round 7: David White, batter | Age: 31
Round 8: Smit Patel, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 29
Round 9: Sanjay Krishnamurthi, all-rounder | Age: 19
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Round 1: Ali Khan, bowler | Age: 32
Round 2: Unmukt Chand, batter | Age: 29
Round 3: Jaskaran Malhotra, batter | Age: 33
Round 4: Nitish Kumar, batter | Age: 28
Round 5: Corne Dry, bowler | Age: 30
Round 6: Ali Sheikh, all-rounder | Age: 20
Round 7: Saif Badar, batter | Age: 24
Round 8: Shadley Van Schalkwyk, all-rounder | Age: 34
Round 9: Bhaskar Yadram, all-rounder | Age: 23
Texas
Round 1: Rusty Theron, bowler | Age: 37
Round 2: Calvin Savage, all-rounder | Age: 30
Round 3: Lahiru Milantha, wicket keeper/batter | Age: 28
Round 4: Milind Kumar, batter | Age: 32
Round 5: Sami Aslam, batter | Age: 27
Round 6: Cameron Stevenson, bowler | Age: 30
Round 7: Cody Chetty, batter | Age: 31
Round 8: Zia Shahzad, all-rounder | Age: 26
Round 9: Saiteja Mukkamalla, batter | Age: 18
Major League Cricket Schedule and Venue
The inaugural season, spanning three weeks, is scheduled to take place at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas, near Dallas, and conclude on July 30, 2023.
Also See: Major League Cricket Schedule, Match Fixtures, Teams, Venues and More
Fans of the MLC teams eagerly await the start of the season, which will see these players take to the pitch in what promises to be an exciting summer of cricket in the United States. The league’s establishment not only highlights the growing popularity of cricket in America but also aims to contribute to the sport’s global expansion.
With the first nine roster picks locked in, the teams will continue to strategize and build their squads in the coming months. As anticipation grows, American cricket enthusiasts can look forward to the thrilling matchups that lie ahead in the MLC’s inaugural season.
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