Is Major League Cricket behind USA’s success at T20 World Cup 2024?

T20 World Cup 2024: USA created history by reaching the Super Eight stage in their maiden appearance in the T20’s biggest event.

FILE – embers of the USA Cricket Team get their photos taken with the World Cup trophy with the space shuttle in the background during a tour of Space Center Houston on Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Houston. (Getty Images)

New Delhi: The USA cricket team created history by reaching the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 in their debut campaign. The co-hosts stunned the Pakistan team and caused one of the biggest upsets if not the biggest in cricket history. The newcomers also gave a tough fight to India in their league match and impressed one and all with their performance against the giants of world cricket.
All the players of the USA team took part in their franchise cricket Major League Cricket (MLC). In the first season of MLC in 2023, big names like Faf du Plessis, Rashid Khan, and many more took part and shared the dressing room with inexperienced USA players.
USA’s captain Monank Patel played with MI New York in the inaugural season, where he shared the dressing room with legends like Kieron Pollard, and Trent Boult. He was a key member of the title-winning MI New York team in the inaugural season. USA’s opener Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir, and Nosthush Kenjige were also part of the winning squad.
The co-hosts star pace bowler Saurabh Netravalkar played alongside Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, and more with Washington Freedom and played in the playoffs of the MLC 2023. Ali Khan also played with the Los Angeles Knight Riders in MLC.
The MLC league created a massive impact in the USA and encouraged the fans to participate in the game. Moreover, the presence of seasoned international cricketers in the dressing room helped the U.S. cricketers massively and is one of the main reasons behind their remarkable performances in the ongoing T20 showpiece event in the Americas.
Fans came in large numbers to watch the MLC 2023. The second season is expected to gain more attention as the likes of Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, and more will appear in the second edition beginning on July 5.
USA’s schedule in Super Eight
USA are placed in Group 2 in the Super Eight stage alongside England, West Indies, and South Africa. The co-hosts face South Africa in their Super 8 opener at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on June 19. In their second match, they will lock horns with West Indies at Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 21 before taking on England at the same venue on June 23.