Major League Cricket (MLC): Format, History and Key Facts

Major League Cricket, or MLC, is a professional Twenty20 franchise league in the United States. It played its first season in July 2023 and is sanctioned by USA Cricket. The league was created to build a professional cricket market in North America, where the game has a long history but a small presence compared with the main American sports.

How it began

Cricket was played in the United States in the nineteenth century, and a match between the USA and Canada in 1844 is often described as the first international cricket match. In modern times, the sport has been supported by large South Asian and Caribbean communities. MLC was developed with investment from business leaders and with some owners who also hold IPL franchises. The first season was played in 2023, and MI New York won the first title. Washington Freedom won the 2024 title.

Teams

The six franchises are Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom. Three of them are connected to the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, which gave the league links with the IPL from the start. The others are independent American-based franchises.

Format and venues

Matches are Twenty20 games with twenty overs per side. The teams play a league stage and the leading teams enter a playoff stage that ends with a final. In its early seasons, the league has been played in a compact schedule at a small number of venues, including Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina. The league also aims to build permanent cricket venues in the United States.

Importance

MLC has been an important part of the growth of American cricket, which also saw the United States co-host the 2024 men's T20 World Cup with the West Indies. The league brings international players to American audiences and gives US-based players a stage for development. Its long-term success will depend on stadiums, television deals and the response of the local fan base, but it has already established a regular franchise season in North America.

The league's long-term plans include building dedicated cricket stadiums and developing grassroots programmes for young players. Cricket will also be part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, which has increased interest in the sport in the country. MLC is therefore often described as part of a larger effort to make cricket a regular part of the American sporting calendar.