Major League Cricket: How Washington Freedom fared in the first two seasons
Washington Freedom
Season 1 Recap (2023)
Washington Freedom had a promising debut season in the inaugural edition of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023, finishing third on the points table with three wins in five matches.
They secured a place in the playoffs.
However, their campaign ended in the eliminator, where they lost to MI New York.
Matt Short was the standout performer with the bat, finishing as Freedom's leading run-scorer with 152 runs. On the bowling front, Saurabh Netravalkar led the attack with 10 wickets, emerging as the team's most successful bowler.
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Season 2 Glory (2024)
The second season saw a complete turnaround. Washington Freedom went on to clinch their maiden MLC title, defeating San Francisco Unicorns comprehensively in the final by a massive margin of 96 runs.
Ajinkya Rahane reflects on KKR's inconsistent IPL 2025, backs under-fire Venkatesh Iyer
The triumph was led by a formidable performance from Travis Head, who was named Player of the Tournament. Head amassed 336 runs in 9 innings and finished as the second-highest run-getter in the tournament overall. Skipper
Steven Smith
was equally pivotal, scoring 336 runs at an impressive average of 56.00, and was named Man of the Match in the final.
In the bowling department, Saurabh Netravalkar once again delivered, picking up 15 wickets and continuing to be a key figure in their setup.
Rachin Ravindra also made a significant impact with the ball, claiming 12 wickets in the season.
Quiz:
Who's that IPL player?
Despite their success, Washington Freedom face a few setbacks heading into the 2025 season. Travis Head is set to skip the tournament owing to his self-imposed cap of participating in only two franchise leagues per year while he remains an active Test cricketer. Additionally, Australia's scheduled Test series in the West Indies will also rule out Pat Cummins, who is contracted with the San Francisco Unicorns.
Freedom, however, has managed to retain its captain Steven Smith, although his full availability remains uncertain due to Australia's red-ball commitments. The franchise has retained the highest number of both domestic and international players among all MLC teams. Key overseas stars like Glenn Maxwell, Jack Edwards (Australia), and
Lockie Ferguson
(New Zealand) are all set to return for the title defence.
On the other hand, the team has released Akeal Hosein, Andrew Tye, and Travis Head ahead of the new season.
With a strong core and solid retention strategy, Washington Freedom will be aiming to overcome personnel challenges and continue their winning momentum in the 2025 season.
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