MLC Domestic Retentions: Taylor, Jayasuriya, Jahangir & Ranjane head to draft

The Major League Cricket teams have announced their domestic player retention lists ahead of the domestic player draft, set to take place on February 19. While teams like Washington Freedom, Los Angeles Knight Riders, and San Francisco Unicorns have opted to retain almost all of their domestic contingent, others, such as MI New York, Texas Super Kings, and Seattle Orcas, have chosen to offload nearly half of their domestic rosters.

Seattle Orcas enter the draft with the highest remaining purse of USD 180,000 after releasing several high-profile former internationals, including Shehan Jayasuriya, Nauman Anwar, and Hammad Azam. Jayasuriya reportedly requested an early release from his contract after being benched during the early stages of last year's tournament due to fitness concerns, particularly regarding his weight.

Another significant omission was star all-rounder Shubham Ranjane. Despite his talent, Ranjane was largely underutilised by the Orcas, which may have prompted him to enter the player draft. He is widely expected to be the league's number-one draft pick, a move that would grant the Maharashtra-born all-rounder a 50 percent pay hike.

MI New York made a bold decision by parting ways with Steven Taylor, their first-ever draft pick back in 2023. The franchise initially took a leap of faith on Taylor's T20 potential but ultimately lost patience after two underwhelming seasons with the bat.

Another notable omission was USA wicketkeeper-batsman Shayan Jahangir. The news comes as a double setback for Jahangir, who is already dealing with visa issues that prevented him from participating in the ongoing ODI tri-series in Oman. Additionally, Ruben Clinton, MI's top pick in last year's domestic draft, was also released following a string of low scores at the top of the order.

Texas Super Kings' Raj Nannan, another former number-one draft pick, was also let go. The left-arm spinner may feel hard done by, having been dropped without getting a single game. The Super Kings further parted ways with former Pakistan first-class leg-spinner Zia Shehzad, who played just one match during his two-season stint with the franchise.

Teams like Washington Freedom, Los Angeles Knight Riders, and San Francisco Unicorns are unlikely to make significant moves in the draft, with only USD 15,000, USD 10,000, and USD 10,000, respectively, remaining from their USD 320,000 domestic purse. However, the draft promises to be a high-stakes affair for MI New York, Texas Super Kings, and Seattle Orcas, as they look to rebuild after shedding nearly half of their domestic squads. They enter the draft with remaining purses of USD 160,000, USD 100,000, and USD 180,000, respectively.