The 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft took place on March 19, 2023, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
The draft was conducted over 9 rounds via a "snake" format, where the team order is reversed every round. Out of the 9 rounds, 8 were general draft picks, with the final round being exclusively for U-23 players.
Out of the total of over 100 players who entered, a total of 54 players were drafted, with another 6 overseas players announced during the draft.
Rules Each team had to mandatorily pick a U-23 player in the ninth round, irrespective of whether or not they selected one in rounds before. Each team also had only three minutes to select a player in rounds 1–5, with the time shortened to 2 minutes for rounds 6–9. Additionally, there were no trading of picks allowed during the draft.
Salary cap The draft had fixed salary caps for each round, with the highest being $75,000 in the first round and the lowest being $2,500 in the ninth round.
First Round – $75,000 Second Round – $65,000 Third Round – $50,000 Fourth Round – $40,000 Fifth Round – $35,000 Sixth Round – $25,000 Seventh Round – $15,000 Eighth Round – $10,000 Ninth Round – $2,500
Draft order Following a randomized order drew held at the Westin Oaks Houston on March 13, the Seattle Orcas had the first pick followed by the Washington Freedom, the MI New York, the San Francisco Unicorns, the Los Angeles Knight Riders, and the Texas Super Kings. As the draft was held in a "snake" format, the Super Kings then had the first pick in the second round, with the Orcas having the first pick again in the third.
Draft selections +First round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team1Harmeet SinghSeattle OrcasSeattle Thunderbolts2Andries GousWashington FreedomSeattle Thunderbolts3Steven TaylorMI New YorkAtlanta Fire4Corey AndersonSan Francisco UnicornsDallas Mustangs5Ali KhanLA Knight RidersHouston Hurricanes6Rusty TheronTexas Super KingsBay Blazers
+Second round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team7Calvin SavageTexas Super KingsChicago Tigers8Unmukt ChandLA Knight RidersSilicon Valley Strikers9Liam PlunkettSan Francisco UnicornsThe Philadelphians10Hammad AzamMI New YorkGolden State Grizzlies11Mukhtar AhmedWashington Freedom–12Shehan JayasuriyaSeattle OrcasSilicon Valley Strikers
+Third round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team13Shubham RanjaneSeattle OrcasSeattle Thunderbolts14Obus PienaarWashington FreedomMorrisville Raptors15Ehsan AdilMI New YorkGolden State Grizzlies16Tajinder SinghSan Francisco Unicorns–17Jaskaran MalhotraLA Knight RidersDC Hawks18Lahiru MilanthaTexas Super KingsMorrisville Raptors
+Fourth round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team19Milind KumarTexas Super KingsThe Philadelphians20Nitish KumarLA Knight RidersLone Star Athletics21Chaitanya BishnoiSan Francisco Unicorns–22Nosthush KenjigeMI New YorkDallas Mustangs23Saurabh NetravalkarWashington FreedomSilicon Valley Strikers24Cameron GannonSeattle Orcas–
+Fifth round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team25Aaron JonesSeattle OrcasAtlanta Fire26Saad AliWashington FreedomChicago Tigers27Monank PatelMI New YorkEmpire State Titans28Carmi le RouxSan Francisco UnicornsBay Blazers29Corné DryLA Knight RidersAtlanta Fire30Sami AslamTexas Super KingsGolden State Grizzlies
+Sixth round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team31Cameron StevensonTexas Super Kings–32Ali SheikhLA Knight RidersDallas Mustangs33Brody CouchSan Francisco Unicorns–34Sarabjit LaddaMI New YorkDC Hawks35Dane PiedtWashington FreedomMorrisville Raptors36Nauman AnwarSeattle OrcasMichigan Cricket Stars
+Seventh round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team37Phani SimhadriSeattle OrcasSeattle Thunderbolts38Sujith GowdaMI New YorkBay Blazers39Shayan JahangirWashington FreedomLone Star Athletics40David WhiteSan Francisco UnicornsBay Blazers41Saif BadarLA Knight Riders–42Cody ChettyTexas Super KingsHollywood Master Blasters
+Eighth round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team43Zia ShahzadTexas Super KingsGolden State Grizzlies44Shadley van SchalkwykLA Knight RidersSeattle Thunderbolts45Smit PatelSan Francisco UnicornsManhattan Yorkers46Kyle PhillipMI New YorkAtlanta Lightning47Justin DillWashington FreedomSt. Louis Americans48Angelo PereraSeattle OrcasBay Blazers
+Ninth round selections in the 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Pick Player Team MiLC Team49Matthew TrompSeattle OrcasHouston Hurricanes50Akhilesh BodugumWashington FreedomSeattle Thunderbolts51Saideep GaneshMI New YorkBay Blazers52Sanjay KrishnamurthiSan Francisco UnicornsBay Blazers53Bhaskar YadramLA Knight RidersManhattan Yorkers54Saiteja MukkamallaTexas Super KingsNew Jersey Stallions
Overseas signings During the draft, a total of 6 overseas players were announced. Among these were Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis, who are set to play for the San Francisco Unicorns, Mitchell Marsh and Quinton de Kock, who are set to play for the Seattle Orcas, and Wanindu Hasaranga and Anrich Nortje who are set to play for the Washington Freedom.
Squads These were the squads for each team following the draft. +Squads at the end of 2023 Major League Cricket players' draft Seattle Orcas Washington Freedom MI New York San Francisco Unicorns LA Knight Riders Texas Super Kings Mitchell Marsh Quinton de Kock (wk) Harmeet Singh Shehan Jayasuriya Shubham Ranjane Cameron Gannon Aaron Jones Nauman Anwar Phani Simhadri Angelo Perera Matthew Tromp Wanindu Hasaranga Anrich Nortje Andries Gous (wk) Mukhtar Ahmed Obus Pienaar Saurabh Netravalkar Saad Ali Dane Piedt Sujith Gowda Justin Dill Akhilesh Bodugum Steven Taylor Hammad Azam Ehsan Adil Nosthush Kenjige Monank Patel Sarabjit Ladda Shayan Jahangir Kyle Phillip Saideep Ganesh Aaron Finch (c) Marcus Stoinis Corey Anderson Liam Plunkett Tajinder Singh Chaitanya Bishnoi Carmi le Roux Brody Couch David White Smit Patel (wk) Sanjay Krishnamurthi Ali Khan Unmukt Chand Jaskaran Malhotra Nitish Kumar Corné Dry Ali Sheikh Saif Badar Shadley van Schalkwyk Bhaskar Yadram Rusty Theron Calvin Savage Lahiru Milantha Milind Kumar Sami Aslam Cameron Stevenson Cody Chetty Zia Shahzad Saiteja Mukkamalla
References