Major League Cricket (MLC) has announced Cognizant, a technology services company, as its first-ever title sponsor.
Announced ahead of the competition’s second season, which is set to kick off from 4 July, the partnership makes Cognizant the first-ever title sponsor of the American cricket championship.
The competition places the world’s best cricketers alongside the country’s top domestic talent across 19 matches. Last year, MI New Yok claimed the championship crown, defeating the Seattle Orcas in the final on 30 July at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium.
Vijay Srinivasan, Co-Founder of Major League Cricket, commented: “Major League Cricket is thrilled to welcome Cognizant as our title sponsor, starting with season two of MLC this summer.
“This multi-year partnership will help enable the continued growth of MLC and cricket in America as this new era in the United States for the world’s second-largest sport continues to bloom.”
MLC’s debut season in 2023 transformed America’s view of the sport, bringing world class domestic T20 action to the country for the first time, with most of the matches played in sold-out arenas in Texas and North Carolina.
Building on its inaugural season, all six teams who competed in MLC’s first season will feature again in 2024 and several cricket players set to play in the competition have already been named.
Returning players already announced to compete include Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan (MI New York), South Africans Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings), Marco Jansen (Washington Freedom) and Quinton de Kock (Seattle Orcas), Pakistan’s Haris Rauf (San Francisco Unicorns) and Sunil Narine (LA Knight Riders) of the West Indies.
The agreement will also bolster Cognizant’s sports sponsorship portfolio, which already features organisations such as the PGA, LPGA, Aston Martin Formula 1 (AMF1) team, SailGP and the English Football Association.
Ravi Kumar S, CEO of Cognizant, said: “Cognizant is excited to support Major League Cricket’s vision, inspiring the next generation of cricket players.
“Our extended relationship with MLC will help us create deeper connections with our clients and associates, while giving back to the communities where we work and play through outreach and education to help invite historically excluded groups into sports and technology.”
MLC’s first season set the cricket world alight, leading to sportsbooks and media companies competing for deals. Last year, saw sports betting operator Betway sponsor the event. Additionally, the competition was aired in India via a deal with Viacom18.
Looking forward, the 2024 MLC season will include matches returning to Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas, with additional venues to be named later.
