Zimbabwe: Globetrotting Raza Signs With U.S.'s Major League Cricket Side

ZIMBABWE cricket star Sikandar Raza will feature in the inaugural season of the Major League Cricket (MLC) competition in the US after being signed by the Seattle Orcas.

The first edition of the MLC will be played from July 13 to 30 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas, near Dallas.

The new league will bring some of the world's top players to compete in a sport that boasts millions of fans in the United States and is the second most watched sport globally with more than two billion followers.

Raza, who has already featured in T20 competitions in several countries such as Bangladesh, UAE, Sri Lanka and Nepal this year alone, is set to continue his busy season by featuring in the newly formed competition.

Sikandar Raza signs with Major League Cricket side Seattle Orcas

The 37-year-old star allrounder is currently playing for the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

After his maiden dance in the IPL, Raza is expected to spearhead Zimbabwe's bid to qualify for the ICC Men's ODI Cricket World Cup for the first time since 2015 during the qualifiers to be held in Harare and Bulawayo from June 18 to July 9.

He will then switch focus to the Seattle Orcas professional cricket team which will represent the Greater Seattle area, and the Pacific Northwest in the US.

Seattle Orcas has close links with one of the top T20 cricket franchises in the world, the Delhi Capitals, a leading franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Delhi Capitals' co-owner GMR Group recently revealed that they partner with Seattle Orcas to help build and operate a world class cricket team.

The Delhi Capitals have competed in the IPL since 2008 (originally as the Delhi Daredevils), with six playoff appearances and a first-place finish in the 2021 regular season standings.

This article originally appeared on New Zimbabwe

Photo: New Zimbabwe