Allirajah Subaskaran: 2023 and 2024 Major League Cricket 

Allirajah Subaskaran is the founder and chairman of Lyca Group, a holding company that, over the course of the last 18 years, has expanded its operations from the telecommunications industry, today including subsidiaries in a range of different sectors including healthcare, marketing, financial services, media, entertainment, hospitality and travel.

Allirajah Subashkaran’s business empire is built on the firm foundations of his success with Lyca Mobile, the company he founded in 2006 on the simple premise of connecting family and friends all over the world at affordable rates.

Lyca Mobile recently announced that it would be partnering with the Seattle Orcas for the 2023 and 2024 Major League Cricket seasons, a deal that would see Lyca Mobile’s logo displayed on the back of the team’s playing kit, as well as in a leading arm position.

In a press release simultaneously made in London and Seattle, Lyca Mobile, the largest mobile virtual network operator globally, announced that it had made a deal with the Seattle Orcas cricket team, becoming the American professional Twenty20 cricket team’s official partner. Based in Seattle, Washington, the Seattle Orcas cricket team was announced in 2023 as one of six franchises to pay in the inaugural Major League Cricket season alongside MI New York, the Los Angeles Knight Riders, the San Francisco Unicorns, the Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom.

Owned by an investor group that includes Soma Somasegar, Satya Nadella, Ashok Krishnamurthi, Sanjay Parthasarathy and Samir Bodas, the Seattle Orcas’ operations are overseen by GMR Group. Leading Orcas players include Dasun Shanaka, Shimron Hetmyer and Quinton de Kock

Lyca Mobile’s strategic two-year partnership with the Seattle Orcas will help Lyca Mobile to expand brand awareness across the United States, while simultaneously building stronger connections with cricket enthusiasts across the world. Speaking about Lyca Mobile’s partnership with the Seattle Orcas, Lyca Group CEO and chairman Allirajah Subaskaran expressed his delight at sponsoring the team at such an exciting time for the game in the United States. Mr Sabaskaran said he looked forward to the partnership delivering exciting opportunities and greater engagement for customers and Orca fans in the United States and globally.

Speaking on behalf of the Seattle Orcas, Soma Somasegar indicated that the team was excited to welcome Lyca Mobile into its family, with the collaboration helping to make the world a more connected place. As Soma Somasegar suggested, Lyca Mobile is an established business with great experience in the sporting world. Mr Somasegar said that the team looked forward to growing a successful partnership.

America’s inaugural Major League Cricket season is credited for igniting a new era for the sport of cricket in the country. With sold-out crowds, the world-class competition was broadcast around the world, concluding at a packed Grand Prairie Stadium in north Texas on Sunday 30^th July 2023, with fireworks exploding in the night sky. Incorporating a total of 19 matches of world-class cricket, the competition is widely credited with transforming the trajectory of American cricket.

The Major League Cricket Trophy was presented by Sunil Gavaskar, one of the greatest cricketers of all time, to Nicholas Pooran, captain of the winning team, MI New York. The West Indian cricket star struck an impressive 155* from just 55 balls to lead MI to victory, with his efforts also earning him SLING-TV’s Most Valuable Player of the Tournament award.

In Major League Cricket’s inaugural season, sold-out crowds packed more than two-thirds of matches, attracting 70,000 cricket fans from across America and beyond to games staged at Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas, and Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina. Those who could not make it in person were entertained with live broadcasts, with a 30-camera production crew broadcasting matches via CBS Sports Network and Willow TV in the United States and across 87 countries worldwide.

Major League Cricket’s landmark competition garnered coverage on a local, national and international level, with Major League Cricket’s social media channels generating more than 110 million impressions and more than 40 million video views. Match highlights published on Major League Cricket’s YouTube channel also racked up over 15 million views globally.

Reflecting on Major League Cricket’s inaugural season, Seatle Orcas co-owner Soma Somasegar acknowledged that from the first ball, the team’s debut season had been a truly incredible experience. Mr Somasegar said he had been thrilled by the fan engagement and response, adding that he looked forward to building upon this foundation and continuing to raise awareness and love for cricket across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Prior to its 2023 debut, the Seattle Orcas had first pick of the draft, selecting Thunderbolts captain Harmeet Singh as the team’s first pick, before adding the likes of Angelo Perera, Shubham Ranjane, and Shehan Jayasuriya in later draft selections. In addition, Quinton de Kock and Mitchell Marsh were announced as some of the Orcas’ overseas signings. Over the months that followed, the Orcas added several other celebrated players to its almonry, including signings of Dasun Shanaka, Heinrich Klaasen and Wayne Parnell, among others.