19 June,2023 08:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
Seattle Thunderbolts’s Harmeet Singh (left) and Shubham Ranjane with the Minor League Cricket trophy in Morrisville, North Carolina, last year
Former Mumbai cricketers Harmeet Singh and Shubham Ranjane are set to parade their skills at the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA for the same team - Seattle Orcas. Left-arm spinner Harmeet, 30, and all-rounder Ranjane, 29, helped Seattle Thunderbolts to win the Minor League title last year.
Harmeet, who led from the front, claiming 22 wickets and scoring 294 runs in Thunderbolts's triumph, sees MLC as a big opportunity. "It's a big platform for all cricketers to play with and against big players. I just want to play well. The sky is the limit and a good performance here will open many doors for players in different franchise leagues and the IPL," Harmeet told mid-day from Seattle on Sunday. He will get an opportunity to rub shoulders with South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock in the Orcas team.
Harmeet's skipper during India's U-19 World Cup triumph in Australia in 2012 - Unmukt Chand and wicketkeeper-batsman Smit Patel - will play for Los Angeles Knight Riders and San Francisco Unicorns respectively.
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When asked about the challenges in the USA league, Harmeet said: "Being a Mumbai cricketer I am used to facing different challenges. I am ready for the MLC challenge too. When I made a decision to shift to the USA in 2019, it was the right one. I claimed 40 wickets in nine Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai, but I was not getting enough chances. I played a couple of years for Tripura too. I wanted to give myself a chance as I knew I have the ability to perform at any level."
The inaugural MLC will start on July 13. Ranjane, who scored 186 runs and claimed 17 wickets in the Minor League, said his main goal is to win the MLC trophy for his team. "Harmeet and I have been playing together since we were in Mumbai. We won the Minor League for the Seattle Thunderbolts. We have known each other since a very long time. It's a big platform for both of us. We have been preparing for the tournament together and our motive is to give our 100 per cent to win the cup for Seattle Orcas," said Ranjane.
Like Harmeet, Ranjane is eager to perform in MLC. He said: "The teams have signed many big names who are currently playing international cricket and IPL. This is going to be huge. It will be great exposure as I can showcase my talent to the world. This will also open my doors for franchise cricket globally." Former Mumbai left-arm pacer Saurabh Netrawalkar, who had led the USA national team, also features in the league for Washington Freedom.
