Major League Cricket (MLC) currently features six franchise teams. Notably, IPL franchise groups own four of them, while Indian-origin entrepreneurs based in the USA own the remaining two.
Since its debut in 2023, MLC has quickly become the USA’s premier T20 cricket league. In fact, the ICC granted it official T20 league status in May 2024.
Here is the complete breakdown of who owns each MLC team, along with their business backgrounds and the IPL connections behind them.
All MLC Teams and Their Owners at a Glance
Before we get into the details, here’s a quick overview table of all six MLC franchise owners as of the 2025 season.
| Team | Owner(s) | Ownership Entity | IPL Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Knight Riders | Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Jay Mehta | Knight Riders Sports Pvt Ltd | KKR |
| MI New York | Ambani Family (Reliance Group) | Indiawin Sports Pvt Ltd | Mumbai Indians |
| SF Unicorns | Anand Rajaraman, Venky Harinarayan | Individual Ownership | None |
| Seattle Orcas | GMR Group, Satya Nadella | GMR Group | Delhi Capitals |
| Texas Super Kings | CSK Cricket Ltd, Anurag Jain, Ross Perot Jr. | CSK Cricket Ltd + Partners | CSK |
| Washington Freedom | Sanjay Govil | Individual Ownership | None |
Detailed Breakdown of Each MLC Team’s Ownership
Here is Detailed Breakdown of MLC Team’s Owners:
1. Los Angeles Knight Riders
Knight Riders Sports Pvt Ltd owns the LA Knight Riders, the same entity that operates Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
Behind the company are Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan‘s Red Chillies Entertainment and actress Juhi Chawla along with her husband Jay Mehta‘s Mehta Group.
The Knight Riders brand also operates the Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL. Consequently, LAKR is part of a global cricket franchise network that spans three continents.
2. MI New York
Indiawin Sports Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of the Reliance Group controlled by the Ambani family, owns MI New York.
This is the same ownership behind Mumbai Indians in the IPL, MI Cape Town in SA20, and MI Emirates in the ILT20. In other words, the ‘MI’ brand is now a global T20 powerhouse.
Furthermore, MI New York are the most successful MLC franchise so far. They won the inaugural MLC title in 2023 and reclaimed it in 2025, beating Washington Freedom by 5 runs in a dramatic final.
3. San Francisco Unicorns
Two Indian-origin Silicon Valley entrepreneurs own the San Francisco Unicorns: Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan.
Both co-founded ventures like Junglee Corp., Cambrian Ventures, and Kosmix, which were later acquired by major tech companies. As a result, their tech-world background brings a distinct Silicon Valley flavour to this franchise.
Unlike the other four IPL-linked teams, the Unicorns have no direct IPL connection. However, they’ve still attracted top international talent and also reached the 2024 MLC final (lost to Washington Freedom).
4. Seattle Orcas
The GMR Group and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella co-own the Seattle Orcas.
The GMR Group also co-owns the Delhi Capitals in the IPL. Meanwhile, Satya Nadella has attended several IPL matches in Delhi in recent seasons, showing his growing passion for the sport.
Interestingly, Nadella was also an early investor in MLC itself. He contributed to the league’s US$120 million Series A funding round in 2022.
5. Texas Super Kings
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd backs the Texas Super Kings, the same entity behind the five-time IPL champions.
In addition, local business partners Anurag Jain and Ross Perot Jr. co-own the franchise. Both are long-time business associates based in Texas.
The CSK branding carries over strongly here. Similarly to CSK’s yellow identity in the IPL, TSK have adopted the same colour scheme, chants, and even squad-building philosophy of experienced, steady performers.
6. Washington Freedom
Indian-American businessman Sanjay Govil owns Washington Freedom. He is the founder and chairman of Infinite Computer Solutions.
Based out of the USA’s capital city, Washington DC, the Freedom have no direct IPL ownership ties. Despite this, they’ve been extremely competitive, winning the 2024 MLC title under Steve Smith’s captaincy.
Moreover, Govil’s ownership represents the growing involvement of the Indian-American business community in US cricket. His tech background aligns well with the data-driven approach modern T20 franchises demand.
IPL-Linked vs Independent MLC Owners: A Comparison
Four of the six MLC teams have direct IPL franchise connections. Here’s how that split looks in terms of results.
| Category | Teams | MLC Titles Won | IPL Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPL-Linked | LAKR, MINY, SEA, TSK | 2 (MINY: 2023, 2025) | KKR, MI, DC, CSK |
| Independent | SFU, WAF | 1 (WAF: 2024) | None |
So while IPL-linked teams have a brand advantage, Washington Freedom proved in 2024 that independent ownership can also win titles.
MLC Title Winners: Season-by-Season Results
For context, here’s how all three MLC seasons have played out so far.
| Season | Champion | Runner-Up | Final Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | MI New York | Seattle Orcas | MINY won the inaugural title |
| 2024 | Washington Freedom | SF Unicorns | WAF won by 96 runs |
| 2025 | MI New York | Washington Freedom | MINY won by 5 runs |
MLC Future Plans: Expansion to 10 Teams
MLC has ambitious plans for growth. The league aims to expand from 6 to 10 teams in the coming years, according to Wikipedia’s coverage of MLC.
In April 2025, MLC announced a partnership with New Zealand Cricket to form a new team by 2027. Additionally, the league moved its headquarters from San Francisco to Grand Prairie, Texas.
The 2025 season already expanded to 34 matches (up from 25 in 2024 and 19 in 2023). Moreover, the league added new venues including Central Broward Park in Florida and the Oakland Coliseum in California.
As a result, this expansion means new ownership groups will likely enter the picture soon. Given the IPL ownership trend, it’s safe to expect more Indian business houses and cricket franchise groups to bid for new MLC teams.
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Final Thoughts
MLC team ownership is heavily influenced by IPL franchise groups, which brings instant credibility, international player pipelines, and proven T20 management expertise to the American league.
At the same time, however, independent owners like Sanjay Govil and the Silicon Valley duo behind SF Unicorns have shown that IPL backing isn’t the only path to success. Ultimately, as MLC grows toward 10 teams, expect the ownership landscape to become even more competitive.
