 "Nadella")
By Guillermo Molero
A group of investors, including Microsoft Corp. CEO Sayta Nadella, is determined to bring the world’s second-most popular sport to the US. After a sold-out opening night, Major League Cricket wants to keep building on the early success.
The league kicked off its inaugural season last Thursday with the Texas Super Kings beating the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Dallas.
The Super Kings are part-owned by Anurag Jain, managing partner of venture capital firm Perot Jain, and his long-time business partner real estate billionaire Ross Perot Jr.
Jain, who grew up playing cricket in India, said he’s hoping investment in the new league will create a premier product that can tap into the sport’s global popularity, second only to soccer.
Also Read: Big payouts, big ambitions: With MLC, cricket makes major strides in the US
Also Read: Big payouts, big ambitions: With MLC, cricket makes major strides in the US
“There’s a lot of infrastructure required and we’re bringing the top players over here,” said Jain. “We’ve put a lot of money into the league and for a period of time, we’ll need to invest more money.”
Investors have already said they’ll pour $120 million into the nascent league.
Jain is joined by investors including Adobe Inc. CEO Shantanu Narayen and Nadella, who has a piece of Seattle’s professional team, the Orcas. Bollywood’s most famous actor, Shah Rukh Khan, is also investing in a cricket stadium near Los Angeles to be used for league play.
