While India looks to the future, across the globe, Major League Cricket (MLC) is back for its exciting second season in the US! The league kicked off with a rematch of last year’s champions, MI New York, who secured another win on July 5th
Archan Mehta
India’s T20 World Cup victory is still fresh, but the team is already looking ahead to the 2026 tournament. Their upcoming series in Zimbabwe serves as a crucial opportunity to identify and groom future stars. A key area of focus will be the opening batsman position following Rohit Sharma’s retirement. The hard-hitting Abhishek Sharma could get his international debut alongside captain Shubman Gill. The middle order is also up for grabs, with the in-form Rinku Singh aiming to reclaim his spot after being overlooked for the World Cup. Wicketkeeping duties might see a change too, with Dhruv Jurel potentially filling in while Sanju Samson enjoys his World Cup win. Finally, both Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar, who had disappointing recent seasons, will be looking to prove their worth as spin bowlers and solidify their places in the T20I squad.
This focus on new talent is already paying off. In the second T20I against Zimbabwe, newcomer Abhishek Sharma impressed with a blistering century, showcasing the kind of firepower India is looking for at the top of the order. His knock helped India post a massive total and level the series 1-1. He came out swinging from the very first ball, even hitting a six! India lost their other opener early on, so things slowed down a bit while they got settled. Abhishek kept hitting big shots and reached his first ever 100 runs in a T20I match in just 46 balls! That included hitting three sixes in a row to get to 100.His amazing innings, with 7 fours and 8 sixes in total, helped India score a huge 234 runs, which was way too much for Zimbabwe to chase down.
While India looks to the future, across the globe, Major League Cricket (MLC) is back for its exciting second season in the US! The league kicked off with a rematch of last year’s champions, MI New York, who secured another win on July 5th. Star batsman Nicholas Pooran continued his hot streak, scoring 62 runs in the opener. The MLC season 2 features six teams with cool names and big-name owners, some even connected to the Indian Premier League (IPL). With Silicon Valley tech giants investing heavily, the future looks bright for cricket’s popularity in the US.
Cricket fans around the world will be treated to a star-studded tournament featuring players from top cricketing nations. Australia brings the thunder with Pat Cummins’ lightning-fast bowling and the explosive batting of Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Tim David, and Marcus Stoinis. South Africa counters with their own batting powerhouse in David Miller, supported by the fiery pace attack of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. Aiden Markram adds solidity to their batting, while Heinrich Klaasen brings experience behind the wicket. The West Indies inject firepower with Nicholas Pooran’s big hitting, while all-rounders Sunil Narine and Andre Russell can dominate both batting and bowling. New Zealand isn’t left behind, boasting the exceptional bowling duo of Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, ready to take down any batsman. With all these star players, the MLC promises an action-packed season filled with incredible matches!
Great news for American cricket fans! featuring top international players alongside talented American cricketers. You can see Saurabh Netravalkar batting for the Washington Freedom, and USA’s captain Monank Patel along with other American hopefuls like Steven Taylor, Nosthush Kenjige, and Shayan Jahangir playing for MI New York. The LA Knight Riders also boast American talent with Unmukt Chand, Nitish Kumar, and Ali Khan on their team. This year’s MLC is even bigger as it’s officially recognized as a top T20 league (List A) from ICC, giving American players a chance to showcase their skills on a global stage.
