MLC 2023: Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella hopes Major League Cricket can attract new fans in USA

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Microsoft CEO and Chairman Satya Nadella, who is also the co-owner of Seattle Orcas, hopes Major League Cricket (MLC) can bring new fans to the game in the United States following the successful first-ever edition of the T20 league.

The inaugural edition of MLC came to a blistering end on Sunday (July 30) night as Nicholas Pooran's magnificent century helped MI New York take down Seattle Orcas by seven wickets in the grand finale at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas.

Depite being on the wrong side of the result on the final night of the competition, Nadella, who co-owns the Orcas with GMR Group, hopes to see MLC attract new cricket fans in the US, where the next T20 World Cup is set to be hosted.

"Sport unites people and it breaks down walls. The US is the sports market of the world. It's fantastic to see cricket come here. I hope we can attract a lot of new fans to the game.," Nadella was quoted as saying in a release.

When asked about his experience of bowling the first delivery of the Final, Nadella said, "I am glad I had the chance to deliver the opening ball. The ball actually spun and it was on the middle stump. I am thrilled about it."

The Chairman and CEO of Microsoft also spoke about his fandom for cricket, "The first-ever cricket game I watched was a Ranji Trophy match between Bombay and Hyderabad. I am a big Indian cricket team fan and I am a fan of whoever has been helping us win over the years."

The inaugural edition of Major League Cricket was played between 13-30 July 2023 across two venues in two cities in North Carolina and Texas in the space of 18 days. This season saw six teams representing major US cities compete for the title.

Four of the six teams are owned by Indian Premier League franchise owners - Seattle Orcas (co-owned), Los Angeles Knight Riders, Texas Super Kings and MI New York.