The Major League Cricket (MLC) player draft took place on Monday.
The inaugural edition of USA’s T20 league will be played from July 13 to 30 and will feature six franchises.
International stars such as Aaron Finch, Quinton de Kock and Wanindu Hasaranga were picked in the draft. Whereas as many as 9 former Indian domestic players also got signed by the franchises. These cricketers will play as domestic players in the league as they have signed for the US cricket. Here’s a look at them:
Unmukt Chand: Unmukt Chand is probably the most recognised name in this list. The former India U19 captain rose to prominence after hitting a match-winning century in the final of the U19 World Cup 2012. The right-hand batsman from Delhi has regularly featured in Indian domestic cricket from 2010-2020. He mostly played for Delhi before moving to Uttarakhand and played in 67 FC, 120 List A and 84 T20 matches. The 29-year-old was picked by Los Angeles Knight Riders in the MLC draft.
Harmeet Singh: Harmeet Singh, who was an integral part of the 2012 U-19 WC winning team, was the first player to be picked up in the MLC draft 2023. The left-arm spinner represented Mumbai and Tripura domestic teams. His last domestic appearance came in February 2020. The 30-year-old also represented Rajasthan Royals in 1 match in 2013. He will be playing for Seattle Orcas in MLC 2023 season.
Saurabh Nethravalkar: The former India U19 cricketer and former USA captain played in the U19 World Cup in 2010 with the likes of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Jaydev Unadkat. He also represented Mumbai in the n 2013/14 domestic season before migrating to the USA. The 31-year-old has featured in 1 FC, 70 List A and 20 T20 matches which also includes 38 ODIs and 20 T20Is for the USA. He was picked by Washington Freedom in the MLC draft.
Milind Kumar: Former Delhi batsman Milind Kumar played for Delhi, Sikkim and Tripura in the Indian domestic circuit from 2011-2021. The 32-year-old was the highest run-getter in the 2018/19 Ranji Trophy season where he smashed 1331 runs while playing for Sikkim. The right-hand batsman featured in 46 FC, 65 List A and 58 T20 matches. He was picked by Dallas Super Kings in the MLC draft.
Sarabjit Ladda: The leg-spinner represented 3 IPL franchises – Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Lions. He was in & out of Punjab’s domestic side for almost a decade. The 36-year-old featured in 28 FC, 13 List A and 13 T20 matches. His last professional appearance came during IPL 2016. Ladda will play for MI New York.
Smit Patel: Smit Patel was a part of the U19 World Cup winning squad of 2012 along with Unmukt Chand and Harmeet Singh. The wicket-keeper batsman featured regularly in Indian domestic cricket from 2012-2020 playing for Gujarat, Tripura, Goa and Baroda. The 29-year-old played 55 FC, 43 List A and 33 T20 matches. Patel also played for Barbados Royals in CPL 2021. He was picked by San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC draft.
Tajinder Singh Dhillon: Tajinder Singh Dhillon is a batting allrounder who bats right-handed and bowls off-spin. The 30-year-old was known for his hard-hitting abilities while playing for Rajasthan domestic side. He was also picked by Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in the IPL auctions. Dhillon represented Rajasthan in 11 FC, 16 List A and 21 T20s. His last domestic appearance came in October 2019. He has been picked up by San Francisco Unicorns.
Chaitanya Bishnoi: The left-handed top-order batsman who also bowls part-time left-arm spin was a regular feature for Haryana’s domestic side for years. He played 49 FC, 46 List A and 50 T20 matches. The 28-year-old was also picked up by the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 IPL auction but didn’t get to make his debut. Bishnoi made his last domestic appearance in January 2023. He has been picked up by San Francisco Unicorns.
Shubham Ranjane: Shubham Ranjane is an allrounder who bats in the middle order and bowls medium pace. The 28-year-old represented Maharashtra, Mumbai and Goa in the domestic circuit. His last appearance came in March 2022 when he played for Goa. Ranjane has featured in 15 FC, 23 List A & 29 T20 matches. He has been picked up by Seattle Orcas.