MI New York could pose stiff challenge with the right combination
The inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket is less than a week away, with the tournament all set to begin on July 14th. The United States-based T20 competition has garnered huge interest from the top players in the world.
The MLC has four teams associated with the franchises from the Indian T20 League and that will surely help the newly launched league in viewership. Six teams – namely Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom will compete in a three-week tournament.
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The MLC 2023 will kick off on July 14 and conclude July 31st. Each team will play the other five teams once each in a round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing through to the final.
Before the tournament begins, Let’s take a look at which teams are favourites according to the betting market.
Texas Super Kings look formidable and start as Favourites
The Super Kings franchise is known for their team building and man management, and have a rich history. They have built a strong squad for the inaugural MLC season and according to the bookmakers, Texas Super Kings are the front-runners.
Texas have a strong overseas core comprising Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, David Miller, Daniel Sams and Gerald Coetzee. The Super Kings have enough quality in their squad to produce a great season and win the competition.
Our pick: Texas Super Kings to win the MLC 2023 at 4.50
Star-studded MI New York need to find the right balance
The MI franchise has four teams in the T20 leagues across the globe and they have yet again managed to bring some absolute superstars on board in MI New York. Kieron Pollard will lead a star-studded side that includes the likes of Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Kagiso Rabada, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Behrendorff and David Wiese.
On paper, MI New York look intimidating but they have to find the right balance, something their sister franchise struggled to do in the South African league. If they can do it, MI New York will be strong contenders for the title.
Can Seattle Orcas overcome lack of depth
The bookmakers have Seattle Orcas as the second favourites to win the MLC 2023 title. However, they could be faced with a big challenge when it comes to the depth in the squad. They have some star players in Quinton de Kock, Sikandar Raza, Dasun Shanaka and Wayne Parnell but apart from that, the squad lacks experience and quality.
Players To Watch Out For
Devon Conway
The New Zealand batter is one of the most consistent batters in the shorter format. Devon Conway was magnificent in the Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in India, where he scored 672 runs at an average of 52 while striking at 140. The left hander hit six fifties in the tournament. In overall T20 cricket, he has amassed over 5300 runs at an average of 44 and strike rate of nearly 130. You can bet on Conway to be the top run-scorer for Texas Super Kings.
Tim David
The Singapore-born player is the hottest property in the T20 circuit. Tim David is one of the best power-hitters in the world and MI New York will have high hopes from him. He has scored 3691 runs in the shorter format at an average of 31 while striking at a superb 162.
Marcus Stoinis
The Australian all-rounder had an impactful season for Lucknow in the Indian T20 League. He scored 408 runs in the tournament at an excellent strike rate of 150 while averaging 31. Marcus Stoinis smashed three fifties in the tournament. He has over 4900 runs in the shorter format while also picking 101 wickets with the ball. Stoinis will be a key player for San Francisco Unicorns.
Major League Cricket 2023 Winner Betting Odds
Major League Cricket Winner (Betway) | |
Texas Super Kings | 4.50 |
Seattle Orcas | 5.00 |
Los Angeles Knight Riders | 6.00 |
MI New York | 6.00 |
San Francisco Unicorns | 6.00 |
Washington Freedom | 6.00 |
Texas Super Kings and Los Angeles Knight Riders set for curtain raiser
The opening match of the Major League Cricket 2023 will have Texas Super Kings and Los Angeles Knight Riders going head to head. TSK have a better squad on paper while LSKR have a few players struggling for form. We predict Texas Super Kings to win this match at 1.80
MI New York look to get off to a winning start versus San Francisco Unicorns
It will be MI New York and San Francisco Unicorns taking on each other in the second match of MLC 2023. New York has some of the biggest T20 players in both bowling and batting departments. We predict MINY to win this match at 1.80