Major League Cricket has had some new updates to its inaugural season. Last night, Major League Cricket had the first draft in league history for the upcoming season this Summer.
The draft provided us with the team names and the players that would be playing. It was interesting to see this format play out in the United States, and should be able to cause traction.
Having an auction raises increased attention to the rosters and brings fan engagement more to life.
How Did This Auction Play Out?
The announcement was made of the team names for this coming season:
- Seattle Orcas
- Washington DC Freedom
- MI New York
- San Francisco Unicorns
- Los Angels Knight Riders
- Texas Super Kings
What’s really interesting about these teams is the fact that they share direct ownership with the IPL teams. The Mumbai Indians will own the New York team and have given the same name to that team. The Kolkata Knight Riders are in relation to the Los Angeles team, and Texas is related to the Chennai Super Kings.
This system of ownership in new T20 leagues is not new. In the recent inaugural season of South Africa’s T20 league, the same team process was done with associations closely tied to the ownership groups of IPL teams.
This is proving to be a great way of expansion and works with the existing name that the IPL franchises have worked hard to create. This will also see many Cricketers tied with IPL teams try and find their way to start playing in Major League Cricket soon.
Players To Watch
Three world-class players were drafted in this year’s inaugural draft. One of the best bowlers in the world, Wanindu Hasaranga, will be a part of the Washington DC Freedom squad. The Sri Laban Bowler will look to be the best Bowler in this entire league!
Dominate batsman from South Africa, Quinton De Kock, will be signing with the Seattle Orcas. This will bring to life an explosive batting presence that will surely bring excitement and life to the matches.
Former captain of Australia, Aaron Finch, will be playing as the captain for the San Francisco Unicorns. His veteran experience will be great to help lead his young squad and bring a known face to the league this year.
The auction has set up what will be a very interesting inaugural season. It should be interesting to see how this first year could open more doors to some of the best talents in the world. Having America eventually become a Cricket hub will help grow and diversify international sports within America.
