{"id":162,"date":"2026-06-29T05:54:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T05:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=162"},"modified":"2026-06-29T05:54:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T05:54:47","slug":"history-of-major-league-cricket-from-2023-to-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=162","title":{"rendered":"History of Major League Cricket: From 2023 to 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"History<\/div>

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Major League Cricket (MLC) is the United States\u2019 first professional, ICC-sanctioned T20 franchise league,\u00a0 and in just four seasons, it has rewritten the narrative of cricket in North America. Whether you\u2019re catching up on major league cricket 2022\/2023 origins or following the 2026 expansion live, here\u2019s a complete journey through MLC\u2019s rise.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How Major League Cricket Started<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Long before the first ball was bowled, American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) had been laying the groundwork since 2019. Backed by over <\/span>$120 million in Series A\/A1 funding<\/b> from investors including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and IPL franchise groups, ACE secured ICC approval on April 13, 2023, making MLC the only ICC-sanctioned domestic T20 league on American soil.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The league launched with six city-based franchises: <\/span>Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings<\/b>, and <\/span>Washington Freedom<\/b>. Four of the six franchises are connected to IPL ownership groups, as explained in our guide to<\/span> IPL teams and their MLC counterparts<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong>. These connections have created a direct talent and business link between India and the United States.\u00a0 The early planning phase, often referenced as the <\/span>major league cricket 2022<\/span><\/i> development period, also established Minor League Cricket (MiLC), a 26-team developmental league forming the base of a genuine domestic cricket pyramid.<\/span><\/p>\n

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MLC 2023 Season: History Made in Texas<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

The inaugural season ran from <\/span>July 13\u201330, 2023<\/b>, hosted across Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and Church Street Park in North Carolina. It was a single round-robin group stage followed by playoffs, six franchises, 15 league matches, and cricket finally arriving on a world-class stage in the US.<\/span><\/p>\n

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MI New York<\/b> became the inaugural MLC champions, defeating the Seattle Orcas by <\/span>seven wickets<\/b> in the final. The hero was captain Nicholas Pooran, one of the<\/span> best batters in Major League Cricket histor<\/span><\/span>y<\/span><\/b><\/a>. He walked in at 0\/1 and chased down the 183-run target with an unbeaten 137 off 55 balls, including 13 sixes and nine fours. . That knock remains the highest individual score in MLC final history.<\/span><\/p>\n

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MLC 2023 Key Stats:<\/b><\/h3>\n