Best Five U23 Players in the MLC
While there is lots of hype around some big-name players making their way stateside to play in Major League Cricket, the groundbreaking and historical MLC draft in March gave us a glimpse into some of the exciting young talent coming through the ranks.
Before the draft, the players up for bidding had to first battle it out at the MLC Player Combine, which occurred at the MLC National Cricket Center at Prairie View Cricket Complex (PVCC) near Houston, Texas, on March 16th. Major League Cricket hopefuls went head-to-head in an intense training camp, which included skills training, strength conditioning, fitness testing, and nets sessions. Finally, applicants had to represent one of four leading franchises in USA Cricket over the last two years in a series of matches to showcase their in-game capabilities. The contest saw the Atlanta Fire (LA Open winners, 2021), Samp Army (Unity Cup, 2022), the Kingsmen (Atlanta Open, 2022) and UMMC KR (Houston Open, 2022) do battle under the watchful eye of the franchise scouts.
The domestic player draft made some dreams come true a few days later on March 19th, and we have picked out five young prospects that could be worth monitoring throughout the tournament.
Best Five U23 Players in the MLC
Brody Couch (Age 23)
Brody Couch representing the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League
Position: Bowler
Current MLC Franchise: San Francisco Unicorns
Draft Pick: Round 6
Previous Clubs: Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Victoria
Best T20 Bowling Figures: 3/30
Best T20 Score: 20
Despite being raised in Australia, Brody Couch qualifies as a domestic player thanks to his American-born mother. He is a well-known talent on the cricketing circuit down under, having already made a name for himself as an all-action, athletic bowler for both Melbourne franchises (the Renegades and the Stars) in the Big Bash League (BBL).
Indeed, he is as renowned for his thoughtful bowling approach as he is for his supreme athleticism as a fielder. Two incredible catches on the opening day of the BBL 12 tournament were among the best catches of the entire tournament.
Coming into the tournament, Brody Couch boasts a T20 bowling average of 21.83 from 15 matches, having taken 18 wickets.
He will be an incredible string to the bow of the San Francisco Unicorns, a franchise we have earmarked as one of the favourites for the competition.
Saiteja Mukkamalla (Age 19)
Saiteja Mukkamalla representing the USA national team against the UAE
Position: Opening Batsman
Current MLC Franchise: Texas Super Kings
Draft Pick: Round 9
Previous Clubs: New Jersey Stallions
Best T20 Bowling Figures: N/A
Best T20 Score: 68 from 44 balls (vs New Jersey Somerset Cavaliers on August 21st, 2021).
Don't be fooled by the last-round draft pick - this New Jersey-born opener can put the willies in opening bowlers and is one of the great hopes for the USA national team over the coming years.
He averaged 28 for Minor League Cricket outfit New Jersey Stallions last season, hitting five half-centuries on his way to 700 runs throughout the campaign.
He can also keep wicket, though it's unlikely the Texas Stars will require him to don the gloves with the more experienced Lahiru Milantha in their ranks.
His domestic form has been rewarded with regular appearances for his country. Though he's yet to represent the USA in a Twenty20 international, his ODI record is impressive. In 12 appearances (at the time of writing), he has hit 295 runs, including a high score of 120 not out, which he racked up in a hugely impressive 5-wicket win over the UAE in a World Cup Qualifier in March 2023.
He's one to watch!
Sanjay Krishnamurthi (Age 19)
Sanjay Krishnamurthi in action during the Minor League Cricket season
Position: All-rounder
Current MLC Franchise: San Francisco Unicorns
Draft Pick: Round 9
Previous Clubs: East Bay Blazers
Best T20 Bowling Figures: 4/12 from four overs (vs Socal Lashings on 22nd August, 2021)
Best T20 Score: 75 from 25 balls (vs Hollywood Master Blasters on August 6th, 2022)
There's making waves, and there's making tsunamis, and this Oregon-born 19-year-old sent tremors through USA Cricket with an incredible 75 runs from just 25 balls in a Minor League clash for the East Bay Blazers against the Hollywood Master Blasters last summer.
What's crazy is Krishnamurthi is more renowned for his bowling prowess than his aggressive blademanship. He boasted the second-best strike rate and the best economy rate of players who bowled 20 overs or more for the Bay Blazers in the 2022 season.
His form earned him a spot in the 2022 Minor League Cricket U21 team of the tournament.
He's a valuable all-rounder who may thrive on the biggest stage of his career so far!
Ali Sheikh (Age 20)
Ali Shekh is an extremely talented all-rounder and destined for big things!
Position: All-rounder
Current MLC Franchise: Los Angeles Knight Riders
Draft Pick: Round 6
Previous Clubs: Dallas Mustangs, Punjab Lions
Best T20 Bowling Figures: 4/15 from four overs (vs Chicago Catchers on August 14th, 2021).
Best T20 Score: 59 from 26 balls (vs Houston Hurricane on September 11th, 2021)
A prodigious talent yet to make his senior debut for the USA cricket team, Sheikh is a former USA U19 captain who is particularly effective in the middle and death overs.
He can suffocate the opposition thanks to an awkward, slow left-arm orthodox action, and in his first eight matches of the 2022 MiLC campaign, he bagged eight wickets from just 17 overs at an economy rate of 6.35. His performances earned him a spot as 12th man in the Major League Cricket's U21 team of the year.
However, it was at the Player Combine where Sheikh really caught the eye, with two man-of-the-match performances in the T20 Quadrangular series. His outstanding performances included a three-wicket haul in the 20th over and a top score of 49. It was enough to convince the LA Knight Riders to go for him.
Saideep Ganesh (Age 22)
Saideep Ganesh with a flourish of the bat during the USA Cricket Men’s Championship
Position: Wicketkeeper-batsman
Current MLC Franchise: MI New York
Draft Pick: Round 9
Previous Clubs: East Bay Blazers
Best T20 Bowling Figures: N/A
Best T20 Score: 56 runs from 34 balls (vs Silicon Valley Strikers)
It was an elite Minor League Cricket season for Ganesh, who made the switch from the Golden State Grizzlies to the East Bay Blazers shortly after the campaign began.
He bagged 402 runs to become the only youth player to break the 400-run barrier in MiLC history. He scored rapidly, with a strike rate of 136, and bagged three half-centuries throughout the season to average at 30.92.
The opener missed out on the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off against Namibia due to injury. He will be hoping to recover in time for what could be a massive summer for his career.