With the Major League Cricket 2023, USA has finally entered the ever expanding world of T20 franchise leagues. The inaugural season of the MLC has just kicked off with as many as six franchises taking part in the competition.
Washington Freedom is one of the six franchises competing in the MLC. Owned by entrepreneur Sanjay Govil, it’s one of the only two teams not co-owned by an IPL franchise.
Sujith Gowda, hailed as one of the finds of Minor League Cricket after a string of consistent performances, will be representing the team during the tournament.
Gowda scored 1014 runs in 30 matches at a strike rate of 148.9 with 8 half-centuries across two seasons before getting picked by Washington Freedom for MLC.
In an exclusive conversation with News 18 CricketNext, Gowda opens about his immigration to USA after starring in Karnataka age-group cricket, the culture at Washington Freedom, rubbing shoulders with international stars and being mentored by his childhood favourite Dale Steyn.
Let’s talk about your journey right from the beginning. You were one of the most prominent cricketers in Karnataka age group cricket. So what was the reason behind moving to USA to play cricket?
Cricket was going well for me in Karnataka as well with under-19, under-23 and everything. While I was in my under-23, I got this opportunity here from the US with Major League cricket. At that point of time I thought, it’s a big step for me and then I thought it’s the right decision to take my cricket in different directions and to progress higher. It just went with my gut and made the decision; it’s working out well.
So how has it been playing cricket in the US?
It’s actually a little competitive because people from different cultures, different countries come in here and everybody has different kind of game plans and the way they play the game is different. So it’s really fun and it’s also competitive. So I’m loving it.
Do you think MLC will change the cricketing landscape in USA?
Hundred per cent, because the way the entire organization is functioning and the way cricket has come into the country now and the way grassroots level of cricket is developing in the US, a lot of good things to see in the future because there’s so many young kids doing really well. And there’s abundance. Talent is abundant here in the US. So it’s going to take different route in the coming years and it’ll be very big for sure.
Have you witnessed any development in cricket infrastructure because of MLC?
Yeah, we have been seeing a lot of new grounds, new stadiums being constructed and a lot of turf wickets now across the country. There’s so many turf wickets, we play a lot of tournaments there and then training facilities have been developed in the past few years. There are so many more stadiums and grounds to come up in the future and it’s a solid plan. So infrastructure wise they’re doing a great job.
You have been one of the most consistent performers in the Minor League Cricket in USA. And you are considered to be one of the finds of the tournament. So how do you go about your cricket? What are your training regimes and how do you train for it on a day-to-day basis?
So since I moved here, initially training was difficult because of the facilities on offer but we kept going. I live in Dallas and we have a lot of indoor facilities here. So I trained early in the morning around 5.30. After the training, I get to my work and then in the evening I hit the gym, again. So this has been going on for a long time and then in between we have a lot of camps. We have a lot of tournaments for different teams and franchises, so we keep playing a lot of games. So that’s how it’s been going on with training and practice.
What are your thoughts about MLC and how do you think it will change cricket for you as well as for USA?
For me, definitely, it’s a very big step. It’s one of the biggest leagues I’ve been part of and it’s a global league. It’s somewhere close or even matching to one of the big leagues that’s happening in the world currently. We have all the big players from different countries, current IPL players, World Cup stars, national-level players from different countries. And it’s a very big step for me personally to be a part of it, playing amongst them, learning from them, improving my game and then this would definitely open a lot of doors for me in the future.
And in terms of USA cricket, definitely this kind of a system coming in here, the whole system will get upgraded. It naturally will help everyone involved to improve their game and that in itself is like a reason somehow to build culture and cricket in America. So, it’s a great initiative
And how has been the culture at Washington Freedom?
I cannot ask for anything more with this franchise because the way everybody functions here, the support staff, the coaches, the players, the captain – everything is top notch,. You cannot ask for more. And this is how a professional team functions. It’s really great to be a part of this team.
Some of the franchises from IPL have brought teams in MLC as well. So do you think it could have been better to be with a team like that?
I’m really happy with the team I’m with. I’m not looking into any other anchors because this in itself will open doors for me should I do well. So really grateful to be part of this team. I haven’t read too much into being part of any other teams or anything as such.
And what about the players? You are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, and Glenn Phillips. So how is the experience working with them who have played cricket across the world?
To be honest, they’re all really great humans as well, apart from being successful top cricketers. They just make you feel like another cricketer being around with you and they’re so humble, always there for you. Just looking at them, just being around them, just seeing how they train and how they function itself is a plus for me. So I really feel great to be amongst them, yeah!
Any stories or anecdotes from the dressing room?
From what we see on the field to the kind of people they are, everyone is nice and kind. They are open to talk to everybody and are funny to be around. So much of laughter shared in the dressing room with the team. It’s amazing to see how they balance their professional and personal life.
And a word on Dale Steyn! He is one of the coaches at Washington Freedom. So how is it working with him?
To be honest it’s a gift to be a part of this and being beside him. To travel with him in the same team bus, to be with him, to be around him. As a kid I remember, when I was growing up, Dale Steyn was one of the favourite fast bowlers to watch. The way he used to run in and bowl, swing both ways with that aggression and now being part of the same team with him, it’s like a gift to be honest.
And have you had the opportunity to face him in the nets so far?
(Laughs) No, he has not been bowling in the nets. He is just being around and helping, and it’s important to pick his mind and get the best out of him.
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