Chicago Kingsmen
LeagueMinor League Cricket
ConferenceCentral Division (Pacific Conference)
ColoursDark Blue, and Burgundy.
CaptainFawad Alam
CityChicago, Illinois
Founded2020 (age 6)
OwnerFKS Group[1]
GroundKingsmen Stadium[1]
T pattern la_blueborder
T pattern ra_blueborder
T leftarm00008B
T bodyFFFF00
T rightarm00008B
T pants00008B
Title 1MiLC
Title1wins1 (2024)

The Chicago Kingsmen (formerly the Chicago Blasters) are an American professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Chicago, Illinois, that competes in Minor League Cricket (MiLC). It was formed in 2020 as part of 24 original teams to compete in Minor League Cricket.[2] The franchise was owned by Iftekhar Shareef until the team's acquisition by Fawad Sarwar of the Kingsmen Global Sports Group. The franchise is currently run by Salman Abbasi and Mohammad Iqra Farooqui,[3] with Khurram Syed also associated.[4]

The team's planned home ground is Kingsmen Stadium, located in Illinois.[1] Pakistan international Fawad Alam helms captaincy duties, while former Pakistani cricketer Saad Ali stands by as vice-captain.[5]

Franchise history

Background

Talks of an American Twenty20 league started in November 2018 just before USA Cricket became the new governing body of cricket in the United States.[6][7] In May 2021, USA Cricket announced they had accepted a bid by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) for a US$1 billion investment covering the league and other investments benefitting the U.S. national teams.[8]

In an Annual General Meeting on February 21, 2020, it was announced that USA Cricket was planning to launch Major League Cricket in 2021 and Minor League Cricket that summer,[9] but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic[10] and due to the lack of high-quality cricket stadiums in the USA.[11] Major League Cricket was pushed to a summer-2023 launch[12] and Minor League Cricket was pushed back to July 31, 2021.[13]

USA Cricket CEO Iain Higgins also pointed out cities such as New York City, Houston and Los Angeles with a large cricket fanbase, and targeted them among others as launch cities for Minor League Cricket.[14]

Exhibition league

In July 2020, the player registration for the Minor League Cricket exhibition league began.[15] On August 15, 2020, USA Cricket announced the teams participating in the exhibition league matches, also listing the owners for each team.[16] The draft for the exhibition league began on August 22, 2020,[17] with the Chicago Blasters releasing their squad on September 12.[18] Ibrahim Khaleel was later named as captain for the Blasters, with Fahad Babar down for vice-captaincy duties for the exhibition league.[19][20]

2021 season

See also: 2021 Minor League Cricket season#Pacific Conference

After the conclusion of the exhibition league, USA Cricket announced that they were planning to launch the inaugural season of Minor League Cricket in spring 2021.[21] Ahead of the official season, which was announced to kick off on July 31,[22] the Blasters announced Fahad Babar as captain with Abul Hasan helming vice-captain duties.[5]

Throughout the group stage, the Blasters won against the Athletics once, the Catchers twice, and the Americans once.[23][24] However, the Blasters lost once against the Strikers, the Grizzlies and the Americans, while losing twice to the Mustangs, the Hurricanes, and the Stars.[25][26] The Blasters finished 6th in their group, thus not advancing to the play-offs.

2022 season

See also: 2022 Minor League Cricket season#Pacific Conference

Ahead of the 2022 season, Major League Cricket announced that the draft for that season would take place on May 12.[27] Ahead of the official season, it was announced that the captaincy role would be shifted from Khaleel to local Blasters cricketer Ashhar Medhi, with Babar once again given vice-captaincy duties.[28]

Throughout the season, the Blasters lost to the Tigers, Hurricanes, and the Stars twice, and lost to the Blazers, the Blasters, the Grizzlies, the Mustangs, and the Americans once.[29][30] The Blasters finished last in their group, despite three of their games being washed out.[31]

Current squad

  • Players with international caps are listed in bold.
NameNationalityBirth dateBatting styleBowling styleYear signedNotes
Batsmen
Awais ZiaPakistan1 September 1986 (age 39)Left-handedRight-arm off break2022Overseas
Homayoon AhmadzaiUnited States18 July 1993 (age 33)Right-handedRight-arm off break2021
Shreyas RameshUnited States12 November 1988 (age 37)Right-handedRight-arm medium2022
Jay PatelUnited States30 January 1996 (age 30)Right-handedRight-arm medium fast2022
Najam IqbalUnited States10 August 1988 (age 38)Left-handedRight-arm off break2021
All-rounders
Abul HasanBangladesh5 August 1992 (age 34)Left-handedRight-arm medium fast2021Overseas
Mohit PatelUnited States29 May 2003 (age 23)Right-handedRight-arm medium fast2022
Abdullah QuadriUnited States15 July 2000 (age 26)Right-handedLeft-arm fast medium2022
Pankaj KampliUnited States22 June 1983 (age 43)Right-handedRight-arm leg break googly2022
Chiranjeevi AkunuriUnited States16 June 1993 (age 33)Right-handedRight-arm medium2022
Fahad BabarUnited States19 February 1992 (age 34)Right-handedRight-arm off break2021Vice-captain
Ankush AgrawalUnited States21 February 1990 (age 36)Right-handedRight-arm fast2022
Datta Prakash YadavalliUnited States27 February 1992 (age 34)Left-handedLeft-arm off break2021
Abir ChippaUnited States11 August 1987 (age 39)Right-handedLeft-arm off break2022
Arjun ReddyUnited States26 April 2004 (age 22)Right-handedRight-arm fast2022
Bowlers
Mohammad MohsinUnited States15 April 1996 (age 30)Right-handedRight-arm off break2025
Umair MirPakistan27 January 1990 (age 36)Left-handedRight-arm medium fast2022
Zia-ul-HaqPakistan11 December 1994 (age 31)Right-handedLeft-arm fast medium2022
Kevin PhilipUnited States1 February 2006 (age 20)Right-handedRight-arm leg spin2022
Sai DaggupatiUnited States21 May 1995 (age 31)Right-handedRight-arm leg spin2022
Wicket-keepers
Aayush ThakkarUnited States17 July 2004 (age 22)Right-handedRight-arm medium fast2022
Shaheer HassanUnited States23 February 1994 (age 32)Right-handedRight-arm fast medium2021
Ashhar MehdiUnited States13 September 1975 (age 50)Right-handedRight-arm off break2021Captain

References

  1. ^ Thynne, Serena (March 31, 2023). "New world-class cricket stadium and training facility to be built in Chicago". WHTM-TV. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "Minor League Cricket Announces Franchise Owners and Draft Owners". USA Cricket. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  3. ^ Evans, Benedict (June 12, 2023). "Cricket in Chicago? New Illinois stadium announced". Stadia Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  4. ^ Hays, Nate (18 August 2020). "Minor League Cricket announces teams and owners list, draft on August 22, exhibition games tentative". Emerging Cricket. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Pre-Draft Selections Confirmed by 21 Minor League Cricket Teams as Draft Day Looms". Major League Cricket. USA Cricket. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  6. ^ Penna, Peter Della (8 January 2019). "USA formally approved to rejoin ICC as Associate Member under USA Cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  7. ^ Penna, Peter Della (27 November 2018). "USA plan to launch their T20 League in 2021". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  8. ^ "USA Cricket Chooses Partner to Fund and Develop U.S.-Based Professional T20 Cricket League". USA Cricket. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  9. ^ "USA Cricket Board Meeting February 2020". USA Cricket. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  10. ^ "USA Cricket re-evaluating Major League Cricket debut timing due to Covid-19 concerns". SportBusiness. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  11. ^ "American Major League Cricket tournament launch pushed to 2023 at Annual General Meeting". Inside the Games. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  12. ^ Penna, Peter Della (21 May 2021). "USA's MLC T20 tournament pushed back to 2023 at AGM". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  13. ^ Penna, Peter Della (30 July 2021). "Minor League Cricket: T20 league in USA kicks off with Sami Aslam, Corey Anderson in the mix". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  14. ^ Penna, Peter Della (27 February 2020). "New York, Boston, Chicago, LA among 22 targeted launch cities for USA T20 competition". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Minor League Cricket Announces Player Registration Opening". USA Cricket. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Minor League Cricket Announces Franchise Owners and Draft Update". USA Cricket. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Inaugural Minor League Cricket Draft to Take Place Today". USA Cricket. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Four More Minor League Teams Complete Squad Selections". USA Cricket. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  19. ^ Hays, Nate (19 September 2020). "Four new Minor League teams set for exhibition debuts". Emerging Cricket. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  20. ^ Acharya, Shayan (6 April 2020). "Lockdown diaries: What's keeping USA's Indian players going?". Sportstar. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  21. ^ "USA Cricket Launches Foundational Plan". USA Cricket. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  22. ^ "American Cricket History to be Made on Minor League Cricket Opening Weekend". Major League Cricket. USA Cricket. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  23. ^ Bodiwala, Suresh (17 September 2021). "Chicago Blasters defend title against Chicago Catchers". Daily Herald. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  24. ^ Lyons, Joe (23 August 2021). "St. Louis Americans are part of new U.S. cricket league". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  25. ^ Pike, Jon (19 May 2022). "Cricket adapts to changing post-pandemic landscape". Arab News. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  26. ^ Bakshi, Sahil (14 August 2021). "What is Major League Cricket? Why are Indian cricketers retiring early to play in MLC?". Times Now. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Title and Presenting Partners Announced for 2022 Minor League Cricket Championship". Minor League Cricket. Major League Cricket. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  28. ^ "Illinois player Fahad Babar at the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2". Eastern Eye. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  29. ^ Patel, Smit (26 July 2022). "Dallas Mustangs and Silicon Valley Strikers surge ahead". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  30. ^ Bodiwala, Suresh (2 October 2020). "Chicago Blasters cricket team clinch spectacular win against the Michigan Stars". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  31. ^ Patel, Smit (10 August 2022). "Minor League T20 Week 7: Teams tantalizingly poised for final round of league stage". Retrieved 30 November 2022.