MLC franchises announce overseas players retention list ahead of 2nd season 

Major League Cricket (MLC) franchises have named the set of overseas players they wish to retain for the second season. A combined total of 23 players have been named by the six franchises, who will be vying for the title right after the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Backed by the success of its inaugural edition and expecting the World Cup in the country to play a huge role in the sport's popularity, the second season of the MLC is slated to begin on July 4, which marks the nation's Independence Day on the calendar.

Defending champions MI New York have retained the most overseas players, with seven names on the list. The Caribbean duo of Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard find a place, and so do other prolific short-format players Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Tim David, Kagiso Rabada, and Dewald Brevis.

Runners-up from the inaugural edition, Seattle Orcas have retained four players in the form of their skipper, Wayne Parnell, along with his national teammates Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock. The franchise have also retained the services of all-rounder Imad Wasim.

Texas Super Kings have retained New Zealand duo Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner, as well as their skipper, Faf du Plessis. San Francisco Unicorns, on the other hand, have retained Finn Allen and Haris Rauf.

It is to be noted that Rauf is likely to be eligible to play for the MLC 2024, as his No Objection Certificate (NOC) ban implemented by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently will end on June 30.

Washington Freedom, bolstered by Ricky Ponting's arrival as head coach have also retained only a couple of players in the form of the left-arm pair Marco Jansen and Akeal Hosein.

LA Knight Riders have continued their association with the stalwarts Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, while also retaining Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson, and Jason Roy.

MLC Domestic retention list expected to be announced in March

Having named the overseas retention list, the MLC franchises can explore the market to make acquisitions as long as the squad criteria are met. As per the guidelines, a maximum of nine overseas players are permitted in a squad, while six of them can be included in the playing XI.

The franchises will name the list of their retained domestic players next month, and a draft for local players is also scheduled to be conducted soon.