IPL Franchises Show Interest on To Be Launched Major League Cricket in USA

After a lot of delays, USA gets a major league for itself. The tournament is set to be hosted in Dallas and is scheduled to go on for 18 days. The ground is still under renovation but is expected to be ready in time for the tournament as USA gears up for some high paced T20 Cricket.

Tournament administrators are hoping that the tournament attracts some of the most elite cricketers around the World. If they succeed, the tournament will certainly help fast-track cricket in America, which is seen as a strong market to exploit.

To help boost the tournament, reports state that there are IPL franchises interested in the tournament. IPL franchises have already made their way into the Caribbean Premier League, with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals having teams in the tournament. Additionally, a handful of IPL franchises are involved in South Africa’s and UAE’s new T20 leagues. Going to the US Will help boost the franchise and tournament in a large scale, given the publicity that could be generated.

See Also: Virat Kohli Re-Announces Himself as the Chase Master – Cricket Winner

With the next T20 World Cup in the United States, the tournament is seen as a nice opportunity to help spread Cricket in the nation. The Knight Riders are already active in the nation with a stadium being built by them. They are also showing interest in the Los Angeles franchise, which is strong news.

The Grande Prairie stadium is currently undergoing renovation. Following the renovation, the ground should be able to hold up to 7000 spectators, with another 8000 likely to be accommodated through temporary seating.

The tournament is expected to have 15 matches played among six teams with another four matches as playoff games. Dallas, Seattle, Washington DC, San Fransico and New York City are seen as the cities interested in developing franchises. All these cities are known for their Indian and South Asian population, which will help ensure a large crowd turnout. The Indian population from these cities is likely to be a major factor behind the interest shown by IPL franchises.

The Orange County Stadium as mentioned earlier, is being designed in Los Angeles, by the Kolkata Knight Riders. The seating is expected to hold up to 10000 spectators. For now though, the tournament is expected to be played only in Dallas. The Global T20 in Canada followed a similar model. There, all the games where played in Toronto despite franchises coming from different cities.

Other stadiums are being looked at and could pop up in the coming years. From an IPL franchise point of view, there are some cricketers who are playing in the United States and have been a part of IPL franchises in the past. Corey Anderson, one of the most high-profile USA cricketers now, is a regular in league cricket in the country. He was an integral part of the Mumbai Indians in 2014. Liam Plunkett is another who is in the nation and has had stints with the Delhi Capitals in the past.

Young Indian talents like Unmukt Chand and Smit Patel are also in the nation. The pair helped India win the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, staging a crucial fourth wicket partnership together, which turned out to be match-winning one in what was a tense chase. Unmukt Chand was the captain back then but went on to move to the United States with minimal opportunities in India. Now with IPL franchises likely to bid over their, his name could pop up and be attractive as well.

With the 2024 World Cup in the United States and West Indies, coming years are likely to see a lot of action in the nation. The BCCI in particular are looking to see Cricket grow there, as USA is a huge market for the sport to prosper. With some seasoned international players moving their, and growth in cricket playing population, USA Cricket is likely to continue growing. There is a lot of talent on offer, and with right facilities, USA could find itself in a growing position in the near future.