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The USA. cricket system, like most in the world, is flawed. It's the new big market for the sport but the initial years have been no short of controversies.
However, the one great thing it has made possible, through the premier T20 competition, Major League Cricket (MLC), is creating a system for players from different countries and backgrounds to rub shoulders with the greats of the game.
This means that even though the incumbent Indian cricketers don't get to play outside the country, MLC gives an indirect pathway to those who move to the USA for cricketing or non-cricketing reasons.
As the MLC 2024 gets ready for the qualifiers, three Indian-born players are hoping to make their marks. Check them out:
#3 Milind Kumar - Texas Super Kings
A right-handed batter, Milind Kumar once used to be a household name in domestic cricket. He started the Ranji Trophy with Delhi, his birthplace, before moving to Sikkim for the 2018-19 season which he ended as the highest run-scorer with 1331 runs, ahead of the likes of Wasim Jaffer and Rinku Singh.
He was also part of the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru for short stints in the IPL. But after not getting too many opportunities, he moved to the USA around 2021, starting with Minor League Cricket.
Good performances there promoted Texas Super Kings (TSK) to draft him in the inaugural MLC last year. He has maintained his place in the side throughout, batting at number five regularly for the Faf du Plessis-led side.
This year, in TSK's run to third place in the league stage, he started with a couple of unbeaten knocks of 11 and 4 when he didn't need to bat a lot. In the next two games, he got out for two runs each before playing a decent 29 (28) against the Seattle Orcas in the final match before the playoffs.
A solid, stylish batter, the 31-year-old would want to turn it around in the Eliminator against MI New York (MINY).
#2 Monank Patel - MI New York
Monank Patel is the popular captain of the USA National side and led them brilliantly in the recent 2024 T20 World Cup, scoring a 50 against Pakistan.
Patel was born in Anand, Gujarat. However, unlike most other Indian and Pakistani players in the USA, he earned his green card as early as 2010 and permanently moved West in 2016 to open a restaurant in New Jersey.
He had played only age-group in Gujarat so most of his cricketing development happened in the USA, culminating in his international debut in 2018.
The keeper-batter hasn't been able to replicate his USA exploits in MLC. He scored just 63 runs last season and in this edition, though he smashed a 61 against TSK in a losing cause, he has failed to cross eight runs in six other games.
Perhaps facing TSK in the big game might bring out his best again!
#1 Saurabh Netravalkar - Washington Freedom
Saurabh Netravalkar's story has already become one of the most popular in India. After his match-winning spell against Pakistan and the wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma against India at the World Cup, combined with the fact that he's an established engineer and a great singer, have made him a 'favorite son' in India.
Netravalkar was born in Mumbai in 1991 and was considered an exciting left-arm pace talent for a long time, especially after he emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the 2010 U19 World Cup. He moved to the USA in 2015 to pursue software engineering but his interest in cricket remained and his international debut followed soon after.
MLC 2024 has been a continuation of his rising stature in the country. In five matches (he missed a couple due to the birth of his newborn), he has picked up 12 wickets and is the highest wicket-taker in the competition. His wickets in the powerplay are one of the biggest reasons behind Freedom's top-of-the-table finish.
He failed to pick up any wickets against San Fransisco Unicorns in the recent league game but would be backed to turn it around in the Qualifier against the same team.
