The GMR Group (co-owners of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals) will “help build and operate” the Seattle Orcas team in the upcoming Major League Cricket (MLC) T20 league in the US, scheduled to launch in July, it was announced Thursday.
The Seattle Orcas’ lead investor group includes Satya Nadella (chairman & CEO of Microsoft), Soma Somasegar (managing director of Madrona Ventures), Samir Bodas (co-founder and CEO, Icertis), Ashok Krishnamurthi (managing partner, GreatPoint Ventures) and Sanjay Parthasarathy (former senior executive at Microsoft and Avalara).
“We are super excited to bring world class cricket to the Pacific Northwest, which has a vibrant and passionate community of cricket and sports fans. The Orcas name and the team’s colors pay tribute to our local community that has helped build that spirit of support,” said Soma Somasegar. “We are thrilled to partner with the Delhi Capitals’ co-owner GMR Group to help us launch with the strongest possible team this summer.”
“We see America as the new frontier for cricket’s growth globally, and the Pacific Northwest provides an incredible opportunity for us to bring the resources of GMR Sports to the region and help the Seattle Orcas build a team competing for championships,” said Kiran Kumar Grandhi, managing director and CEO of GMR Group.
The announcement was made at an event Thursday where the team logo and name were unveiled. The name is derived from the Orcas, a killer whale native to the waters around Seattle, which is considered a symbol of power and strength. The logo features the black and white colors of the highly intelligent and collaborative marine mammals. Light-green highlights on the logo set the Seattle Orcas alongside other professional teams in the area honoring the region’s lush vegetation and waterways.
The Seattle Orcas will join teams representing Texas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. MLC’s inaugural edition kicks off July 13, with the championship final set for July 30.
“The Pacific Northwest is a hotbed for American cricket, with a vibrant youth scene and the current reigning Minor League Cricket champions, the Seattle Thunderbolts, hailing from the area. It’s going to be exciting to see the Seattle Orcas build on that platform and compete in the inaugural Major League Cricket championship this summer,” said Justin Geale, MLC Tournament Director.
While Seattle will not host any matches during the 2023 season, the team, along with MLC, is working with King County and the City of Bellevue to build a Cricket Community Park that could host up to 6,000 people for future Seattle Orcas’ home games and other international cricket events. The 20-acre facility would be in Marymoor Park in Redmond, a few miles east of Seattle, with the Redmond City Council passing a motion of support for the development.
