USA Cricket has terminated its long-term commercial agreement with the Times Group backed American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), citing “multiple material breaches of the Term Sheet signed between the parties in May 2019”.
The development marks a dramatic rupture in a partnership once billed as the cornerstone of cricket’s rise in the United States.
In 2019, USA Cricket handed ACE — co-founded by Sameer Mehta, Satyan Gajwani, Vijay Srinivasan, and Vineet Jain — exclusive 50-year rights to operate elite T20 cricket in the country. In return, ACE pledged to finance national teams, build six stadiums, and establish professional leagues.
ACE’s flagship project was Major League Cricket (MLC), a franchise based professional T20 league that has completed three seasons and has had six teams competimng.
MLC teams are owned by a mix of individuals and established sports entities, including four with ties to IPL franchises. The six teams in MLC are: Los Angeles Knight Riders (Kolkata Knight Riders), MI New York (Mumbai Indians), Seattle Orcas (Delhi Capitals), Texas Super Kings (Chennai Super Kings), San Francisco Unicorns, and Washington Freedom.
Breakdown of MLC team owners
LA Knight Riders: Knight Riders Group (own Kolkata Knight Riders).
MI New York: Indiawin Sports (own Mumbai Indians).
Seattle Orcas: GMR Group (co-own Delhi Capitals) and Satya Nadella.
Texas Super Kings: Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (own Chennai Super Kings), Anurag Jain, and Ross Perot Jr.
San Francisco Unicorns: Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan.
Washington Freedom: Sanjay Govil.
Giving its reasons for the termination, USA cricket asserted: “Despite extensive dialogue, the issuance of formal breach notices, and repeated opportunities to cure defaults, USA Cricket has determined that ACE has failed to fulfill its contractual and fiduciary obligations. The breaches span critical areas, including financial commitments, infrastructure development, organizational structural, and governance responsibilities.”
“USA Cricket entered into this partnership with ACE in good faith, with the shared vision of building sustainable infrastructure, providing competitive opportunities for our athletes, and creating commercial growth for the sport in America,” said USA Cricket Board chairman Venu Pisike. “We are supportive for the growth and success of Major League Cricket and Minor League Cricket. But, when it comes to USA Cricket, ACE has consistently failed to meet its obligations under the agreement, which has jeopardized the broader development of cricket in United States. After years of engagement and repeated breach notices, USA Cricket has no choice but to terminate this agreement to protect the best interests of the sport and its stakeholders. Additionally, we also raised concerns around the circumstances under which ACE was given the contract and the usage of USA Cricket intellectual property.”
Looking forward
USA Cricket remains committed to advancing the growth of cricket across the United States. While this termination was necessary to protect the best interests of the sport, USA Cricket is open to renewed discussions with ACE for new terms and conditions that ensure full alignment with the organization’s vision and long-term development objectives, including support for national team programs, player development, and grassroots initiatives.
“USA Cricket is resolute in ensuring that American cricket has a strong, sustainable future. We will continue to work closely with the International Cricket Council, domestic stakeholders, and partners to deliver on this vision,” added Pisike.
