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Chicago Kingsmen

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(Redirected from Chicago Blasters) Chicago-based cricket team in Minor League Cricket

Cricket team
Chicago Kingsmen
LeagueMinor League Cricket
ConferenceCentral Division (Pacific Conference)
Personnel
CaptainFawad Alam
CoachAamir Saddique
OwnerKingsmen Global Sports Group
Team information
CityChicago, Illinois
Colours  Dark Blue, and   Burgundy.
Founded2020; 4 years ago (2020)
Home groundKingsmen Stadium

T20 kit

The Chicago Kingsmen (formerly the Chicago Blasters) are an American professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team that compete in Minor League Cricket (MiLC). The team is based in Chicago, Illinois. It was formed in 2020 as part of 24 original teams to compete in Minor League Cricket. The franchise was owned by Iftekhar Shareef until the team's acquisition by Fawad Sarwar of the Kingsmen Global Sports Group. The franchise is currently run by Salman Abbasi and Mohammad Iqra Farooqui, with Khurram Syed also associated.

The team's home ground is Kingsmen Stadium, located in Illinois. Pakistan international Fawad Alam helms captaincy duties, while former Pakistani cricketer Saad Ali stands by as vice-captain.

Franchise history

Background

Talks of an American Twenty20 league started in November 2018 just before USA Cricket became the new governing body of cricket in the United States. In May 2021, USA Cricket announced they had accepted a bid by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) for a US$1 billion investment covering the league and other investments benefitting the U.S. national teams.

In an Annual General Meeting on February 21, 2020, it was announced that USA Cricket was planning to launch Major League Cricket in 2021 and Minor League Cricket that summer, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and due to the lack of high-quality cricket stadiums in the USA. Major League Cricket was pushed to a summer-2023 launch and Minor League Cricket was pushed back to July 31, 2021.

USA Cricket CEO Iain Higgins also pointed out cities such as New York City, Houston and Los Angeles with a large cricket fanbase, and targeted them among others as launch cities for Minor League Cricket.

Exhibition league

In July 2020, the player registration for the Minor League Cricket exhibition league began. On August 15, 2020, USA Cricket announced the teams participating in the exhibition league matches, also listing the owners for each team. The draft for the exhibition league began on August 22, 2020, with the Chicago Blasters releasing their squad on September 12. Ibrahim Khaleel was later named as captain for the Blasters, with Fahad Babar down for vice-captaincy duties for the exhibition league.

2021 season

See also: 2021 Minor League Cricket season § Pacific Conference

After the conclusion of the exhibition league, USA Cricket announced that they were planning to launch the inaugural season of Minor League Cricket in spring 2021. Ahead of the official season, which was announced to kick off on July 31, the Blasters announced Fahad Babar as captain with Abul Hasan helming vice-captain duties.

Throughout the group stage, the Blasters won against the Athletics once, the Catchers twice, and the Americans once. However, the Blasters lost once against the Strikers, the Grizzlies and the Americans, while losing twice to the Mustangs, the Hurricanes, and the Stars. The Blasters finished 6th in their group, thus not advancing to the play-offs.

2022 season

See also: 2022 Minor League Cricket season § Pacific Conference

Ahead of the 2022 season, Major League Cricket announced that the draft for that season would take place on May 12. Ahead of the official season, it was announced that the captaincy role would be shifted from Khaleel to local Blasters cricketer Ashhar Medhi, with Babar once again given vice-captaincy duties.

Throughout the season, the Blasters lost to the Tigers, Hurricanes, and the Stars twice, and lost to the Blazers, the Blasters, the Grizzlies, the Mustangs, and the Americans once. The Blasters finished last in their group, despite three of their games being washed out.

Current squad

  • Players with international caps are listed in bold.
Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Year signed Notes
Batsmen
Awais Zia  Pakistan (1986-09-01) 1 September 1986 (age 38) Left-handed Right-arm off break 2022 Overseas
Homayoon Ahmadzai  United States (1993-07-18) 18 July 1993 (age 31) Right-handed Right-arm off break 2021
Shreyas Ramesh  United States (1988-11-12) 12 November 1988 (age 36) Right-handed Right-arm medium 2022
Jay Patel  United States (1996-01-30) 30 January 1996 (age 28) Right-handed Right-arm medium fast 2022
Najam Iqbal  United States (1988-08-10) 10 August 1988 (age 36) Left-handed Right-arm off break 2021
All-rounders
Abul Hasan  Bangladesh (1992-08-05) 5 August 1992 (age 32) Left-handed Right-arm medium fast 2021 Overseas
Mohit Patel  United States (2003-05-29) 29 May 2003 (age 21) Right-handed Right-arm medium fast 2022
Abdullah Quadri  United States (2000-07-15) 15 July 2000 (age 24) Right-handed Left-arm fast medium 2022
Pankaj Kampli  United States (1983-06-22) 22 June 1983 (age 41) Right-handed Right-arm leg break googly 2022
Chiranjeevi Akunuri  United States (1993-06-16) 16 June 1993 (age 31) Right-handed Right-arm medium 2022
Fahad Babar  United States (1992-02-19) 19 February 1992 (age 32) Right-handed Right-arm off break 2021 Vice-captain
Ankush Agrawal  United States (1990-02-21) 21 February 1990 (age 34) Right-handed Right-arm fast 2022
Datta Prakash Yadavalli  United States (1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 (age 32) Left-handed Left-arm off break 2021
Abir Chippa  United States (1987-08-11) 11 August 1987 (age 37) Right-handed Left-arm off break 2022
Arjun Reddy  United States (2004-04-26) 26 April 2004 (age 20) Right-handed Right-arm fast 2022
Bowlers
Mohammad Waqas  Pakistan (1987-05-15) 15 May 1987 (age 37) Right-handed Right-arm off break 2022
Umair Mir  Pakistan (1990-01-27) 27 January 1990 (age 34) Left-handed Right-arm medium fast 2022
Zia-ul-Haq  Pakistan (1994-12-11) 11 December 1994 (age 30) Right-handed Left-arm fast medium 2022
Kevin Philip  United States (2006-02-01) 1 February 2006 (age 18) Right-handed Right-arm leg spin 2022
Sai Daggupati  United States (1995-05-21) 21 May 1995 (age 29) Right-handed Right-arm leg spin 2022
Wicket-keepers
Aayush Thakkar  United States (2004-07-17) 17 July 2004 (age 20) Right-handed Right-arm medium fast 2022
Shaheer Hassan  United States (1994-02-23) 23 February 1994 (age 30) Right-handed Right-arm fast medium 2021
Ashhar Mehdi  United States (1975-09-13) 13 September 1975 (age 49) Right-handed Right-arm off break 2021 Captain

References

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