It was a milestone moment for United States cricket as the first Super60 USA Tournament made significant progress in its highly anticipated player draft on Friday. The event was an American cricket milestone, with franchises representing remarkable tandems of international legends and emerging talent to build their teams.
Both teams had already signed a maximum of eight players in pre-signings. During the draft, they could choose an extra 7–10 players to complete their squads. Some of the notable big international names who were in the limelight included Martin Guptill, Wayne Parnell, Varun Aaron, and Lendl Simmons, which reflected the seriousness and universal interest of the tournament.
LA Strikers
LA Strikers had already made waves during pre-signings by securing Aaron Finch, Isuru Udana, and Ben Dunk. During the draft, they continued building an all-round team by selecting Gurkeerat Mann, a solid middle-order batsman with handy off-spin.
They also strengthened the depth of their team with the signings of veteran wicketkeeper Naman Ojha and experienced fast bowler Parvinder Awana, proving that they want to be competitive in all aspects.
Morrisville Fighters
Having established a solid bowling core with the signings of Harbhajan Singh and Munaf Patel, Morrisville Fighters signed Aussie veteran Shaun Marsh to strengthen the top order.
They then added explosive all-rounders Colin de Grandhomme, West Indian left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell, and ever-dependable Faiz Fazal to complete a well-balanced unit that combines aggression with experience.
Rebel Warriors
The Rebel Warriors created ripples in the draft by acquiring both Martin Guptill and Lendl Simmons, the two T20 veterans best known for their potential to destroy bowling attacks in the powerplay.
Already having Saurabh Tiwary from their pre-signings and with Mitchell Johnson at the helm of the pace attack, the Warriors are poised to score fireworks with bat and ball alike.
Chicago Players
The Chicago Players began with the star-studded base of Suresh Raina and Jacques Kallis, and carried on their big-name approach by signing up South African all-rounder Wayne Parnell, Indian pace man Varun Aaron, and canny spinner Devendra Bishoo. With this combination of pace and spin, they’ve formed a bowling department to be reckoned with.
Detroit Falcons
Having Shakib Al Hasan in their corner already, the Detroit Falcons declared their intentions, they were all-in for all-rounders. They added Mosaddek Hossain and Ariful Haque, two perennial performers with both bat and ball, to bolster their game plan to take over with balance and depth.
Washington Tigers
The Washington Tigers have a strong batting order comprising Parthiv Patel, Chris Lynn, and Ravi Bopara -a combination of explosive potential and global experience.
Their bowling staff is equally balanced, with Abhimanyu Mithun, Dan Christian, and Shahbaz Nadeem providing variety and control to the team’s resources.
