Major League Cricket (MLC): T20 Cricket Enters the Biggest Sports Market

United States of America is one of the best sporting nations in the world and has undoubtedly produced some of the greatest athletes of all time. Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in Basketball, Michael Phelps (the player with the highest number of Olympic Gold medal) in swimming, and Tiger Woods in Golf and Tom Brady in American Football, all have dominated their respective sports by miles. The reason to this is the massive sporting industry the United States is and the sporting league system that exists there. The National Basketball League (NBA), the Major League Soccer (MLS) for Football, The National Football League (NFL) are some of the biggest sporting leagues in the world in terms of revenue they generate. But in a country like the USA, where sports is a major part of their economy and culture, we need to ask the question of Why has cricket, the second biggest sport in the world not a big sport in the country and how is it growing in the nation. 

Credit: Olympics

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In this article by ZAP, we will decode this reason and know more about the Major League Cricket T20 (MLC T20), America’s first T20 Cricket League. 

What is the Major League Cricket (MLC)?

The sporting environment in the United States has been undergoing a dramatic change in the last few years. While sports like Basketball, American Football, Golf and Hockey have dominated the stage for many years, there has been a shift in sporting paradigm in the country. As a lot of people from the subcontinent live in the States, there’s a clear cult following of cricket in the country. Also, Virat Kohli is one of the biggest sportsman in the world, the third most followed sportsman on Instagram, has created a following in the US too. And finally, the rise of cricket and the T20 format, the most entertaining cricket format throughout the world, too has had a huge impact on this shift. Club this all together, and you get a new age T20 Cricket League, the Major League Cricket (MLC).

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Credit: AugustMan

Major League Cricket (MLC) is a new professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket league in the United States. This professional league is ushering in a new era for cricket in America and is backed by some of the biggest names in the sport, including some team owners of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Major Cricket League History:

Prior attempts to create T20 cricket leagues in the United States, such as Pro Cricket in 2004(just a single season) and the American Premier League (no seasons played) proved to be unproductive and very short lived, but laid the groundwork for Major League Cricket in the country. 

With important partners including The Times Group and Willow TV founders, American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) was able to acquire a $1 billion investment for the league in 2019. This was a significant step towards materialization of the idea of the league. After receiving financing from Indian Premier League giants Kolkata Knight Riders. A proper youth league system and development programmes were set up to create a growing cricketing infrastructure. 

The league's original launch was postponed until 2023 as a result of COVID-19 and stadium construction delays. MLC raised $120 million in fundraising in 2022 from well-known investors like Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

The MLC revealed plans in November 2022 for its first season, which would take place in July 2023 and include six franchises in a round-robin style. Despite early doubts about the league's legitimacy, the player draft was held in March 2023, and on April 13, 2023, the International Cricket Council (ICC) formally approved the league, enabling it to start operations.

Major League Cricket Teams and Owners:

The MLC Tournament 2023 started with 6 teams with the ACE managing all teams, but they were owned by the people and companies that had invested in the league. The Los Angeles Knight Riders were owned by KKR owners Knight Riders Group, MI New York is owned by Mumbai Indians owner Indiawin Sports, Seattle Orcas are owned by Delhi Capitals owners GMR Group and Microsoft CEO and Texas Super Kings is owned by the Chennai Super Kings owners along with Anurag Jain and Ross Perot Jr.

Two other teams San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom are owned by other owners. 

Credit: The Times of India

Major League Cricket Teams and Squads:

Reason For Major League Cricket (MLC) Tournament Success:

Credit: The Indian Express

Exceeding All Expectations:

Baseball was the only sport similar to cricket in America, but had a lot of differences. Different grounds and pitch conditions and comepletely different rules. But, the MLC smashed through all the doubts, creating a huge infrastructure for cricket stadium and training ground, with the pitch conditions at the grounds too extremely suitable for a cricket match.

High Investments and Attractive Salaries:

With over $100 million invested and support from influential Indian businessmen, MLC managed to attract high-profile international cricketers through lucrative salaries. This financial backing and strong incentives played a crucial role in making the league a success.

Massive Fan Turnout:

The tournament witnessed massive fan turnouts, with over 70,000 fans attending matches played in two venues, Grand Prairie Stadium near Dallas, and Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina. The growing South Asian population in the U.S. contributed to the passionate fan base.

Impressive Revenues:

The tournament generated approximately $8 million in revenues, surpassing initial expectations. The success attracted numerous sponsors, indicating the potential for future growth.

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