MLC 2023: Seattle Orcas rope in Dasun Shanaka for inaugural edition

Seattle Orcas sign Sri Lanka white-ball skipper Dasun Shanaka for the inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC). Notably, the competition is scheduled to kickstart on July 13, featuring six teams that will battle it out for the coveted title. 

One among the six franchises, Seattle Orcas took to their official social media handle to share an exciting update in the form of a signing. The Orcas have roped in Sri Lanka star cricketer Dasun Shanaka ahead of the forthcoming MLC 2023.

Seattle Orcas@MLCSeattleOrcas

Incoming Overseas Player ✈️ An impressive all-rounder who led Sri Lanka to an Asian Cup triumph in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣ Let's welcome to the Seattle Orcas family @dasunshanaka1 👏🏽 @MLCricket #MeetTheOrcas #SeattleOrcas #MLC2023 #MajorLeagueCricket

08:43 PM · May 09, 2023

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“Incoming Overseas Player. An impressive all-rounder who led Sri Lanka to an Asian Cup triumph in 2022. Let's welcome to the Seattle Orcas family @dasunshanaka1 @MLCricket,” captioned Seattle in their Twitter handle.

Shanaka relished an impressive campaign in 2022 with the Islanders as he steered the side to clinch the Asia Cup against Pakistan in the UAE. The star all-rounder has featured in 183 T20s and has collected 3724 runs, lacing it with 15 half-centuries and three tons. In addition to this, he has claimed 59 wickets in 93 innings in the T20s.

Wayne Parnell to don Seattle Orcas outfit

The franchise also announced the signing of seasoned pacer Wayne Parnell, who will don the outfit in the upcoming season. For the unversed, Seattle made two international signings during the MLC Draft in the form of star cricketers such as the likes of Quinton de Kock and Mitchell Marsh.

Notably, Seattle will not host any fixture in the 2023 season. The league along with the franchise is working with King County and the City of Bellevue to build a Community Park which could host up to 6,000 people in future home games.

MI New York, Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns, Los Angeles Knight Riders, and Texas Super Kings are the five other teams that will take part in the top-tier league in the USA. As many as 19 matches will be played in the span of 18 days and the MLC championship final will be played on July, 30.