NZC and True North Unveil Plans for Future MLC Franchise
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is partnering with True North Sports Ventures (TNS) to launch a new Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise, which will debut in 2027. The partnership will involve MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, who are the majority owners of entities that hold exclusive rights to own and operate two MLC expansion franchises. The first of these will be launched by TNS in 2027.
The first-of-its-kind agreement between a full member of the ICC and a franchise in a leading professional cricket league will see NZC provide high-performance and operational support, including coaching, management, and support staff, as well as integrating the franchise into NZC’s domestic high-performance ecosystem. In the second phase of development, NZC will offer expertise in cricket infrastructure and turf management.
Johnny Grave, CEO of Major League Cricket said “It’s great to see New Zealand Cricket invest and partner with one of our new MLC expansion teams. Cricket is the 2nd biggest sport in the world and North America is the most sophisticated and developed sports market in the world, so I’m not surprised that NZC sees the strategic opportunity to get more directly involved with the growth of the sport here. It’s such an exciting time for cricket in the US, following the ICC T20 World Cup last year, our expanded 34-match MLC going coast-to-coast including two new venues this June and July and the recent announcement about a new cricket venue in LA for the Olympic Games in 2028. New Zealand Cricket’s investment adds to MLC’s global strategic alliances with teams enjoying support from highly respected partners from India, Australia and now New Zealand.”
“We’re thrilled to announce this strategic partnership with New Zealand Cricket to launch our expansion franchise in 2027. Having one of the sport’s most respected organizations onboard highlights the growing success of cricket in the US and the immense potential that lies ahead. With access to NZC’s high-performance expertise and operational support, we’re poised to fast-track the development of local talent and elevate the sport here to new heights,” said Vijay Srinivasan, co-founder of Major League Cricket.
