Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025: How MLC’s Second Season Stacks Up in the Global T20 Landscape
Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 is set to kick off on June 13, with defending champions Washington Freedom facing last season’s runners-up, the San Francisco Unicorns. This marks the third edition of the T20 tournament in the United States, building on the growing success and popularity of the first two seasons.
The inaugural edition of Major League Cricket drew 72,000 spectators and generated $8 million in revenue, marking a strong debut. The second season benefited from the momentum of India’s victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, further boosting the league’s profile. Now, the 2025 season is capitalising on this growing popularity, expanding both in scale and scope.
For the first time, matches will be played across three venues instead of two, including the newly added Oakland Coliseum in California, which has a seating capacity of 60,000—though it will operate at a reduced capacity. Additionally, the number of matches has increased from 25 to 34, reflecting the league’s continued growth.
MLC promises to be galore of talented cricketers
The recent spate of international retirements by T20 stars like Heinrich Klaasen of South Africa and Nicholas Pooran of the West Indies is a clear indication that the money offered by these leagues is too good to refuse. Pooran will lead MI New York, while Klaasen will captain the Seattle Orcas in this year’s edition. For the record, top players earned $175,000 for just five matches during the 2024 season.
In addition, there are plenty of other exciting and talented cricketers lined up for the six franchises this season. Glenn Maxwell will captain Washington Freedom, Faf du Plessis will lead the Texas Super Kings, Corey Anderson will skipper the San Francisco Unicorns, and Jason Holder will lead the Los Angeles Knight Riders. A few other big stars who will feature for various franchises include Andre Russell, David Warner, Romario Shepherd, Mitchell Marsh, and Sunil Narine, among others. India-born Saurabh Netravalkar, who bowled impressively for USA in the 2024 World T20, is also part of Washington Freedom.
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Future of MLC
The lure of money from MLC could draw more young players toward the league. They will gain valuable experience playing in unfamiliar conditions while learning from international stars. However, the retirements of Klaasen and Pooran highlight a growing trend: playing in domestic T20 leagues around the world has become a more lucrative profession than enduring the rigors of international cricket. While payment in dollars may be the biggest attraction, ultimately, it’s performance that will matter most.
Nevertheless, this rising trend of players quitting international cricket at the peak of their careers to pursue rich T20 contracts doesn’t bode well for the long-term health of the game. As Anand Rajaraman, co-owner of the San Francisco Unicorns, aptly put it, “It’s up to the ICC to rationalise the calendar so that there is less conflict between leagues and international cricket.”
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