Prominent Indian American business leaders like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen are pouring in money to launch the first professional T20 league in the United States, according to a report published by The Hindu.
A funding of $120 million has already been secured.
"The significant funding committed by an outstanding group of investors will allow Major League Cricket to build first-class facilities and accelerate the sport’s development across the country, bringing world-class professional cricket to the world’s largest sports market," Major League Cricket co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan were quoted as saying by the daily.
"This investor group comprises leading business executives and successful tech entrepreneurs who have led some of the world’s most prominent companies. They bring tremendous experience and expertise in support of MLC’s plans to launch a transformative Twenty20 league and establish America as one of the world’s leading homes for international cricket events," they added.
Major League Cricket (MLC) is the US's first professional Twenty20 cricket league.
Nadella has said that because he grew up in India, he was extremely passionate about cricket, and that "playing cricket taught me more about working in teams and leadership that has stayed with me throughout my career."
MLC $120 million investment will mostly be dedicated to build premier cricket-specific stadiums and training centers so that it can "develop a new generation of American star cricketers."
(With inputs from The Hindu)
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