Page 42 - The Indian EYE 071224

SPORTS JULY 12, 2024 | The Indian Eye 42

New Era of Cricket: India Tests Young

Guns, USA Stages Epic MLC Season 2

While India looks to the future, across the globe, Major League Cricket (MLC) is back

for its exciting second season in the US! The league kicked off with a rematch of last
year’s champions, MI New York, who secured another win on July 5th

ARCHAN MEHTA

ndia’s T20 World Cup victory is
still fresh, but the team is already
Ilooking ahead to the 2026 tour-
nament. Their upcoming series in
Zimbabwe serves as a crucial oppor-
tunity to identify and groom future
stars. A key area of focus will be the
opening batsman position follow-
ing Rohit Sharma’s retirement. The
hard-hitting Abhishek Sharma could
get his international debut alongside
captain Shubman Gill. The middle The Indian middle order is also up for grabs, with the in-form Rinku Singh aiming to reclaim his spot after being overlooked
order is also up for grabs, with the in-
form Rinku Singh aiming to reclaim for the World Cup (ANI photo)
his spot after being overlooked for
the World Cup. Wicketkeeping duties reached his first ever 100 runs in a cricket’s popularity in the US. Boult and Lockie Ferguson, ready
might see a change too, with Dhruv T20I match in just 46 balls! That in- Cricket fans around the world to take down any batsman. With all
Jurel potentially filling in while San- cluded hitting three sixes in a row to will be treated to a star-studded tour- these star players, the MLC promises
ju Samson enjoys his World Cup win. get to 100.His amazing innings, with nament featuring players from top an action-packed season filled with
Finally, both Ravi Bishnoi and Wash- 7 fours and 8 sixes in total, helped In- cricketing nations. Australia brings incredible matches!
ington Sundar, who had disappoint- dia score a huge 234 runs, which was the thunder with Pat Cummins’ light- Great news for American crick-
ing recent seasons, will be looking to way too much for Zimbabwe to chase ning-fast bowling and the explosive et fans! featuring top international
prove their worth as spin bowlers and down. batting of Glenn Maxwell, Travis players alongside talented American
solidify their places in the T20I squad. While India looks to the future, Head, Tim David, and Marcus Stoin- cricketers. You can see Saurabh Ne-
This focus on new talent is al- across the globe, Major League is. South Africa counters with their travalkar batting for the Washington
ready paying off. In the second Cricket (MLC) is back for its exciting own batting powerhouse in David Freedom, and USA’s captain Monank
T20I against Zimbabwe, newcomer second season in the US! The league Miller, supported by the fiery pace Patel along with other American
Abhishek Sharma impressed with a kicked off with a rematch of last attack of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich hopefuls like Steven Taylor, Nost-
blistering century, showcasing the year’s champions, MI New York, who Nortje. Aiden Markram adds solid- hush Kenjige, and Shayan Jahangir
kind of firepower India is looking secured another win on July 5th. Star ity to their batting, while Heinrich playing for MI New York. The LA
for at the top of the order. His knock batsman Nicholas Pooran continued Klaasen brings experience behind Knight Riders also boast American
helped India post a massive total his hot streak, scoring 62 runs in the the wicket. The West Indies inject talent with Unmukt Chand, Nitish
and level the series 1-1. He came opener. The MLC season 2 features firepower with Nicholas Pooran’s Kumar, and Ali Khan on their team.
out swinging from the very first ball, six teams with cool names and big- big hitting, while all-rounders Sunil This year’s MLC is even bigger as
even hitting a six! India lost their oth- name owners, some even connected Narine and Andre Russell can dom- it’s officially recognized as a top T20
er opener early on, so things slowed to the Indian Premier League (IPL). inate both batting and bowling. New league (List A) from ICC, giving
down a bit while they got settled. With Silicon Valley tech giants invest- Zealand isn’t left behind, boasting American players a chance to show-
Abhishek kept hitting big shots and ing heavily, the future looks bright for the exceptional bowling duo of Trent case their skills on a global stage.

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