The GMR Group (co-owners of the Delhi Capitals) and Microsoft chairman & CEO Satya Nadella, as well as a consortium managed by the GMR Group, have secured the rights to own and operate a team in Major League Cricket (MLC), a new T20 franchise league in the United States that is set to start this July, news agency IANS reported.
The MLC said in a press note that the name of the franchise is Seattle Orcas. Orcas, a killer whale native to the waters off Seattle, are revered as a symbol of power and strength.
Besides Nadella and GMR, there are additional investors which 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).
“We see America as the new frontier for cricket’s growth globally, and the Pacific Northwest provides an incredible opportunity for us to bring the resources of GMR Sports to the region and help the Seattle Orcas build a team competing for championships,” said Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Managing Director, and CEO of GMR Group, a Co-Owner of Delhi Capitals.
The Pacific Northwest is a hub for American cricket, with a thriving youth scene and the home of the current Minor League Cricket champions, the Seattle Thunderbolts. “It will be thrilling to see the Seattle Orcas build on that platform and compete in the inaugural Major League Cricket title this summer,” MLC Tournament Director Justin Geale stated.’’
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have both purchased shares in MLC. Besides IPL, MI will also oversee the New York franchise, while Super Kings, who already own a club in the SA20, will run the Dallas franchise in Texas alongside local businessmen Anurag Jain and Ross Petrot Jr.
