IPL Owners Eying ‘Major League Cricket’ 2023: CSK, MI, KKR & DC Set to Buy Teams in USA
Written by Sanjay Kumar
IPL franchises have expanded their investments beyond South Africa and the UAE, now looking towards the Major Cricket League (MCL) 2023 in the USA.
According to a report from ESPN Cricinfo, four IPL franchises – Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals – are set to own teams in the MLC T20 league in the USA.
| Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians | Kolkata Knight Riders | Delhi Capitals |
| Founded – 2008 | Founded: 2008 | Owner: Red Chillies Entertainment | Founded: 2008 |
| Arena/Stadium: M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Owners: Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, Reliance Industries Limited | Coach: Chandrakant Pandit (Head coach) | Owners: GMR Group, JSW Group |
| Manager: Russell Radhakrishnan | Indian Premier League wins – 5 | CEO: Venky Mysore (Oct 2010–) | Chairman – Parth Jindal |
| Owner: Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd | Owner: Indiawin Sports | Owners: Shah Rukh Khan, Red Chillies Entertainment, Juhi Chawla, Jay Mehta | Manager – Siddharth Bhasin |
The report stated that these franchises have purchased stakes in the MLC T20. Kolkata Knight Riders were the first to invest in the league and bought the Los Angeles franchise, while Mumbai Indians will solely run the New York franchise.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings have partnered with a local firm for the Dallas franchise in Texas. The Delhi Capitals will take charge of the Seattle-based franchise, in partnership with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and other investors.
The Seattle Orcas, newly named for the debut season of the MLC, will represent the Greater Seattle area and the Pacific Northwest in partnership with Delhi Capitals. Investors in the Orcas franchise include Soma Somasegar (managing director of Madrona Ventures), Samir Bodas (co-founder and CEO of Icertis), Ashok Krishnamurthi (managing partner of GreatPoint Ventures), and Sanjay Parthasarathy (a former senior executive at Microsoft and Avalara).
Quick Glance
- Chennai Super Kings – Texas
- Mumbai Indians – New York
- Delhi Capitals – Seattle
- Kolkata Knight Riders – Los Angeles
Two more franchises are yet to be announced by the organisers.
Here’s everything about MLC T20 2023
The inaugural edition of MLC T20 will be played between July 13 and 30. To kickstart the tournament, the draft for local US players will be held on March 19 at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Based on reports, the franchises participating in the MLC T20 will have a substantial purse to sign overseas players and local US-based cricketers. The franchise will have $800,000 for overseas signings and $300,000 for the US-based cricketers.
The team’s squad strength will fall between a minimum of 15 players and a maximum of 18 players. Additionally, each franchise can sign up to nine overseas players for their team.
