Shakib Al Hasan joins Los Angeles Knight Riders ahead of MLC 2024

The Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) have signed veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan ahead of the upcoming season of the Major League Cricket (MLC). The second season of the American franchise-run T20 league gets underway on July 6 with MI New York facing Seattle Orcas.

Shakib is arguably the most experienced Bangladeshi T20 player and is the top-ranked all-rounder when it comes to the format in the international arena. The veteran cricketer has played a staggering 430 T20 matches and mustered 7231 runs with 31 half-centuries and has taken 487 scalps at 21.06 apiece. With the T20 World Cup also set to be co-hosted by USA along with the West Indies this year, the 37-year-old will get an experience of the surfaces ahead of MLC.

From the squad of 2023, the Knight Riders have retained Andre Russell, Jason Roy, Spencer Johnson, Unmukt Chand, Ali Khan, Saif Badar, Nitish Kumar, and Shadley van Schalkwyk, and drafted in local players Derone Davis, Matthew Tromp, Cirne Dry, and Adithya Ganesh ahead of the upcoming edition. The MLC draft took place on March 21 and an additional draft will be held on June 16 to allow teams to complete their squads.

Los Angeles Knight Riders finished at the bottom of the points table in MLC 2024

Sunil Narine captained Los Angeles Knight Riders in 2023. (Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, LAKR had a forgettable edition in 2023, winning only one out of five matches. The franchise's only win came against Seattle Orcas in their final group game.

It was the MI New York that won the final of MLC 2023 as Nicholas Pooran and his men beat Seattle Orcas comprehensively. Pooran spearheaded their seven-wicket victory by hammering an unbeaten 137 off 55 deliveries to gun down 184 with ease.

The defending champions will open their campaign against Washington on July 7.